


Friendship is Hopeful

by mxoxie



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Anal, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Dangan Ronpa - Freeform, Dom - Freeform, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Gay, Gay Sex, Homosexual, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Smut, Tiny bit of Angst, Trigger Happy Havoc, bj, blowjob, but its mandatory, come on taka did not deserve his way out, danganronpa - Freeform, danganronpa trigger happy havoc - Freeform, danganronpav1, everyone is still an ultimate of course, gayness 1000, gets me in my feels too deep, high school taka 0-0, i don't like writing it, ishimondo - Freeform, junko actually isn't a hoe in this wow, just a good high school, kiyotaka x mondo, mega yikes, neither did mondo, sub, taka and mondo, taka and mondo are legit so cute together, triggerhappyhavoc, universe where everyone did go to hopes peak but it wasn't the killing game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:08:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 67,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25806361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mxoxie/pseuds/mxoxie
Summary: Both Kiyotaka Ishimaru and Mondo Owada are best friends, right? There's no chance of anything else, for sure. After all, just the thought of wanting to do anything remotely explicit with his friend gets Taka in a hurried frenzy. Being just friends is the best option, of course, no other possible explanation.Then why can't Taka stop feeling so warm and fuzzy and light? Every time he sees Mondo or even makes physical contact with him? Why does he act like this?No way, just meant to be friends of course, nothing else. Just friends, and great friends of course, but friends nonetheless. There's no reason why Taka should feel any different.But Taka feels something different.
Relationships: Asahina Aoi & Ogami Sakura, Asahina Aoi/Ogami Sakura, Fukawa Toko & Naegi Komaru, Fukawa Toko/Naegi Komaru, Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Oowada Mondo, Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo, Kuwata Leon & Maizono Sayaka, Kuwata Leon/Maizono Sayaka
Comments: 89
Kudos: 390





	1. Graduation Day

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this first chapter isn't too bad! I want this to be a nice continuing story, and I might write some lengthy one chapter stories to go along with this universe when I finish it!

It was graduation day.

And the two men were polar opposites.

"Taka, dude, you seriously need to chill the fuck out. It's just graduation, man."

The muscled biker sighed as he watched his frantic friend fret around the room, checking on a new thing seemingly every single second. When would the day finally come where this guy could at least try to catch a break from all of this educational nonsense?

But his friend wouldn't comply, instead being even more nervous than before his kyoudai uttered that sentence, mixed with vulgarity and confusion.

"I don't need to chill the, eff out, kyoudai! It's graduation day, yes, but not just graduation day! You should know that! And here I am, worrying more over this drastically important event than you are! It's so incomprehensible how you fail to perceive even the most basic understanding that this is not j u s t graduation day!" and the black haired boy went back to frantically searching the room for his white uniform. Even the language he used made Mondo want to roll his eyes, but then again, he should expect nothing less from the Ultimate Moral Compass of Japan, someone who dedicates his entire life to nothing but studying and true boringness. If that was even a real word. Oh how he would be scolded for not even knowing basic language.

"Yes, you do. If you really want to have fun, you should instead just relax and not worry too much about, uhm, where that button is going to go on your, uh, ankle?" a sharp glare bored into Mondo's eyes. It indeed, was not supposed to go on his pants at all. Kiyotaka Ishimaru fastened the button's sharp pin to just above his right breast and turned to look in the clean mirror. He let out a huff of satisfaction and turned back to Mondo's gaze.

"I'm having fun right now, see? I put this button exactly where it's supposed to go, can you believe that? I didn't want to let it ruin my jacket by poking it so many times, you know?" and he went on and on about the simple gold and silver button, carefully polished and placed properly.

"Looks extremely exciting," Mondo sighed, and got an oblivious smirk from the smart yet unwise other. Mondo wouldn't go so far as to say that Taka was dumb. Oh no, quite the opposite, and for many good reasons. He is very much smart of course, but more specifically book smart. He knows almost every fact, every mathematical equation, every single part of the human body, and so on and so on. He was clearly very intelligent in all of those areas, but he lacked knowledge in certain departments, ones that are particularly unfair to him.

Taka doesn't know if someone is being serious or not, and whenever someone uses a metaphor, the boy takes everything too literally. So, more or less, he was book smart and not street smart. He knows his way around a classroom, but Mondo seriously doubts he would know his way around a place like a skate park or a gang, such as The Crazy Diamonds, the one Mondo has been in for quite some time.

He gets lectures here and there for being in a gang first of all, but they're his own lifeblood, a family ever since his brother passed because of his own errors and his parents long lives came to an end. Taka can't help but poke about being more moral, which isn't exactly proper gang material, but nevertheless, he knows how much the gang means to Mondo.

"Thank you." Taka said, snapping Mondo back to reality. He turned and looked in the mirror again, very happy with his attire for the graduation he had waited so incredibly long for. He picked up a comb neatly placed on the desk to his right and fixed up some messy parts of his hair, then set it down and turned back around to face Mondo. "I think I'm ready! What about you...?" Mondo was waiting for this part more than anything.

"You see, I didn't mess around for three hours, I just put on this lame ass gown and did my hair in my usual style." Mondo stood up and did a dramatic bow, showing that he was just as ready as Taka, and he didn't have to spend a large chunk of his time preparing. But Taka cocked his head to one side.

"Not sure why you did the bow, although I do admit, you're very, how should I put this, handsome." Mondo's breath hitched a little bit, but it quickly went away as he brushed it off. They were best bro's of course, there's no doubt they would occasionally shower each other with some compliments, no? Mondo could swear he saw a different change in Taka's posture as he uttered those words.

"Ah, thanks man. You too, you're very put together, you do look good with all of that fancy shit too I guess, heh," and a quick red flushed over the smaller boy's face, though it quickly disappeared as quickly as it had come. Yeah, they were just bro's of course, talking like this was normal for them!

But as Taka's eyes came to rest on Mondo's physique, he felt something spark in his abdomen, and felt a hot sensation slowly spread as his look wavered from bottom to top. He couldn't be thinking like this, of course not, not now of all times when he was about to graduate! But he just couldn't help himself, and his face shifted to a pink flush. He didn't know why, but his stomach did back flips practically all the time whenever he shared moments like this with the bigger man. It was, confusing for him, to say the least. Was he gay? That thought pondered in his mind for hours on end every time he witnessed a moment like this.

It's not bad to be gay of course, but Taka never had a relationship before for one thing, so how would he know if he was? The only thing he knew is that when looking at anyone else, he never felt himself like this before, and maybe he really was?

No, just brush it all off. In the end, he needs to focus on the friendship aspect. Mondo could be disgusted and never want to talk to him again if he found out how Taka really feels around him. He shook his head and regained his consciousness.

"Yeah, t-thanks," he let out a little stutter, and quickly turned towards the door, ready to begin the ceremony, but most excited to get out of this now increasingly uncomfortable situation, unbeknownst to Mondo, standing there like a dope. "Come on, let's get out of here," he said hurriedly, and opened the door, making fast strides down the hall.

"Hey, wait up dude!" Mondo exclaimed, and shot out after him, shutting Taka's dorm door behind him.

~

Mondo was right behind Taka, and noticed how hard he was clenching his fists. His fingers looked like they would snap at any given moment. Mondo shrugged it off, of course, expecting this type of behavior from the Ultimate Moral Compass after all. He knew how much of a nervous wreck he could be during situations like these, including the dreaded graduation moment.

"Kiyotaka Ishimaru."

The voice of the headmaster echoed throughout the room, and Taka nervously stood up from his chair, and waltzed up the ramp towards the podium, where he was handed his diploma. Now he was in front of the entire graduating year, and had to make a speech. So he began, all of a sudden much more eager than when he first got up.

"Thank you to the headmaster, and thank you to all my classmates for continuing to support me throughout my education. Without your help I could have never gotten into the Morals Committee, get straight A's in every single one of my AP classes, and be able to join a wide variety of college accepting extracurriculars. Thank you!" Taka bowed, and the smattering of expected applause hit his ears. A wide grin broke out across his face, and he rushed back to his seat, now beaming.

"Of course you had to brag about everything, eh?" Mondo whispered to Taka from behind, which honestly didn't surprise him all that much.

"I worked hard for all of these achievements, I should be allowed some bragging rights every once in a while," Taka confidently replied, a little too loudly however, drawing attention to the pair. He flushed and sank down in his chair a little. But he was right, Mondo never gave two shits about school, and despite him graduating from the best high school in Japan, he knows he'd never live up to what Kiyotaka would become. His goal, prime minister.

"Damn right ya do," Mondo cracked a smile, and jumped as he heard his name.

"Mondo Owada."

His graduation was a lot more unceremonious than Taka's. He stumbled up to the front, grabbed his diploma, muttered an exasperated, "Thanks man," and left the stage as quickly as he had come. This was a massive shocker to Taka. He didn't even try to give a speech? Well, of course not, he really is that stubborn in the end. Still, Taka let out a small smile as he heard Mondo say behind him;

"You really did do a lot better than me, man."


	2. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka was about to move in with his best friend. Coincidentally, he ALSO happened to have an uncontrollable raging crush on his best friend. So of course the most logical option was to sleep in the bed right next door to him! His best friend.  
> Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING  
> Some slight NSFW, but nothing too bad, just some occasional thoughts.  
> PTSD Flashback, Mondo reminisces of his dead brother, Daiya.  
> I originally had a little more of an NSFW approach to the beginning of this chapter, with it just being Taka's dream, and I wrote a fair bit before I accidentally deleted it! But I'm not too upset actually, I figure that this approach should be a little steadier anyways.

Kiyotaka felt his leg brush against Mondo's as they swiftly passed each other, both holding boxes of moving supplies, preparing to leave their school's dorms and move into an apartment together. The sunlight bathed their faces, and it was five in the morning, so everything was completely quiet except for their shuffling footsteps.

And Taka's hitched breathing. But that was a different matter anyways.

 _No!_ Ishimaru felt his face fill with red, as his lungs seemed to be unable to push anymore air out of them. How come that the simple physical contact between the two of them made him feel like this? Made Taka want even more? Made him want to...

Taka let out an exasperated sigh, desperately trying to eradicate those lewd yet enticing thoughts swirling around in his brain. He placed one of the last boxes in the truck and sat on the edge of it, exhaling deeply, his lungs finally cooperating with the rest of him. He absentmindedly grabbed the first thing from one of the boxes near him, which was a photo framed of Taka and Mondo at a carnival, with Taka being rather stubborn and a nervous Mondo trying to get him to hold cotton candy.

What was the matter with him recently? It was probably normal to think of your best friend like this, no? But that couldn't be true, it couldn't. Taka sentenced himself to a life of academics with one man meant to lead him on with some company. Mondo, of course. But could it ever be more than that? No. He shook his head, and ran a shaky hand through his spiked short black hair, his red eyes glaring in the shine.

The Ultimate Moral Compass, somebody meant to lead, somebody meant to be a role model to other aspiring youth, was now engaging in certain material that deemed itself unfit for his everyday life. He perspired, rubbing a hand now slick with sweat across his warm forehead, heated by the summer sun. A nudge was felt in his left side, and he turned to see, well speak of the devil.

Mondo.

Just the simple sight of him forced a little smile on Kiyotaka's face, and he shifted his body towards his direction.

"It seems like we're finished, right?" Taka broke out into a wide grin, finally happy he didn't have to strain his arms as much anymore. He was surprisingly muscled, he realized, but he never had time to spend on physical exercise, so his muscles were more for show than practicality.

Taka didn't exactly mind his appearing strength, but it was a real downer to him when it was revealed that he can't exactly replicate his physique. He wished that his body wasn't as, well, _strange._ Well, that might be a weird way to put it.

The fact was, Taka didn't exactly think his body was as _manly._ Not as much as Mondo's, that's for sure. He was actually strong, and didn't have any curves at all, while Taka had muscles, yes, but his hips curved outwards, giving him a feminine appearance. Taka was physically strong, and was almost as muscled as Mondo, but due to his morals and personality, he never had a reason to use his strength. His clothes also hid his muscles most of the time, as he tended to not wear any thin tight clothing, except occasionally to bed, so he just looked like a boy with a big butt.

It was definitely, " _embarrassing",_ to say the least. His physical appearance was the result of most of his bullying throughout his years. But when Mondo came, all of that vanished rather quickly. Mondo used to be kind of a jerk to Taka at first, but when they became friends Mondo was quick to defend Taka, who was prone to being ridiculed simply because of his shape.

All Taka could think of while continuing to look at Mondo, was that he was very lucky to have him. Very lucky to be blessed with such a kind person, who also had a tough shell which was fun to chip away at. Very lucky to be blessed with his hips, so Mondo could caress them and...

Gasping, he dropped the frame to the ground. The shattered pieces of glass glinted in the yellow sunlight, and the photo remained on the road, unbothered by the lack of wind. Kiyotaka snapped back to reality as he heard Mondo exclaim in front of him, reaching down to look at the damage.

"Ah, shit man, that was my favorite picture!" An exasperated groan came from Mondo, picking up the photo lying in front of them, careful not to cut himself on any of the shards of glass.

Taka was nervous that he made him upset. He squeezed his thighs together subconsciously and leaned towards the ground, feet slightly hanging off the truck, now examining the damage that was done to the frame. He felt his heart drop.

It was the frame that Mondo bought for him for his birthday. And that set a nervous flame flaring inside of Taka's chest.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Mondo! I was just thinking of something else, and then I got all nervous, and I dropped it, and I am so incredibly sorry for breaking that amazing picture frame!"

Taka immediately jumped down to look, and to his surprise, Mondo wasn't in a raging fit.

"Never expected the Ultimate Moral Compass to drop his prized picture frame. Damn, this world is kinda crazy." Mondo just smirked and patted Taka on the shoulder, who slightly jumped at the physical contact.

"Dude, it's fine. You're human you know, mistakes happen, and I sure as hell ain't gonna get upset because you made one." 

"S-So you're not mad?" Taka looked up with glinting red eyes, a flush spreading across his face.

"Of course not! It's just a dumb picture frame, I can get you a new one. You didn't commit a crime or anything, although I probably wouldn't care as much if you did that either. Now get that redness off your damn face and let's drive, eh?" 

A smile broke out on Ishimaru's face, and he nodded, standing up and regaining his normal posture, which was to look like he had the stance of a nutcracker.

"Hold on, you've got some glass on your pants." Taka pointed, and Mondo looked down in dismay.

"Fuck, this was my only clean pair of jeans." Mondo hissed.

"Let me just take care of that for you." Taka bent over slightly and used his hands to attempt to flick the glass away, and Mondo reeled in shock.

"Don't get your hands near the fucking glass, dude, ya crazy?" Mondo grabbed Ishimaru's wrists, and he heard a painful noise come from him. "Hm?"

"N-Nghh..." Kiyotaka whimpered in pain as dark blood slowly seeped out of his porcelain skin, the glass having impaled it.

Mondo's eyebrows furrowed. "Ah shit, man, hold on a second, 'kay?" Mondo jumped into the truck and navigated towards the back, hastily opening the box with the words 'first aid' scrawled on them. It was most definitely his own handiwork. 

Taka tried to hold in the glistening tears in danger of escaping his eyes, but he couldn't hold back a few that splashed onto the pavement. He was never one to be able to take pain, and him being sensitive was another thing that he hated, but he couldn't control. Yet another reason to be bullied for all those years.

Why couldn't he just be as strong as Mondo? He is the leader of a biker gang, of course he could pull himself together if he got a few cuts. But no matter what he tried, he had to go ahead and accept the fact that he wasn't tough.

He heard the frantic steps to his right and turned to see Mondo in front of him with a pair of tweezers and some gauze.

"Alright, this is gonna hurt, but you ain't gonna die, 'kay?" Mondo brandished the tweezers, the metal glinting in the warm sun, still basking them in the early morning. He handed him a cloth. "Something to bite down on. You'll probably rip your tongue out if you don't have this." Mondo couldn't help but smile at Taka's sheer lack of masculinity. His inside and outside were different in more ways than one. He looked down and slowly began pulling out the tiny shards of glass, earning cries and whimpers from Ishimaru, already biting down hard on the fabric. "Fuck." He uttered as he took out a relatively big shard, which jerked a particularly big cry out of Taka, tears spilling all over himself.

"I-It really hurts, kyoudai!" Taka whimpered, muffled slightly by the cloth. "Nngh!" 

To Mondo's surprise, he felt a tinge of pink seep through his cheeks. When Taka made that noise, he felt a strange thing deep inside of him, like honey filled his insides. But he brushed it off and worked on getting the remaining bits of glass out of the sniffling boy's palm, and he couldn't help but feel his pants slightly tighten as the last string of cries came out of Taka's lips.

He took the cloth out of Taka's clenched set of teeth and smiled softly. 

"All done, dude, and ya didn't die. Props to you." He patted him on the back, and felt slightly weirded out by the fact that he felt sort of aroused due to Taka's noises, but it had gone as quickly as it had come, and he took out the gauze and wrapped it around Taka's hand.

"All better, right?" Mondo nervously smiled as Taka wiped the last remaining set of tears from his eyes.

He jumped suddenly, realizing how out of hand it was for him to act like this. He quickly got back in his stiff posture and bowed formally to Mondo, who looked rather confused at this formality.

"I'm extremely sorry, Mondo! I acted in such a prude manner just now, and I really sounded childish. I won't ever be that irresponsible again! It brings shame on me knowing that I totally disregarded the glass on your pants!" Taka snapped back up, his usual bold expression plastered on his face again. But Mondo just looked bewildered.

"Is that your way of saying thanks?" Mondo asked quizzically. "Well, in any case, you're welcome." He grinned, and turned away to go to the driver's seat.

"Thanks for doing that, Mondo. It meant a lot." Mondo turned around and saw Taka in a more relaxed position, smiling at him, the sunlight heating up his black hair. For a few seconds, they just stood in the sunlight, getting warmer by the second.

"No problem. Anything for a friend." He turned back around and walked to the driver's side of the car. But Taka felt his stomach considerably drop at that sentence. Did Mondo not feel the obvious connection that they had together? Whatever, it wasn't something to think about anyway. Mondo was just helping him as a friend. 

And when Taka jumped into the passengers seat of the truck, clutching the photograph in his hand that wasn't wrapped in gauze, he repeated that in his head.

Just as a friend.

Right?

~~~

They finally finished setting up everything. The clock read 2:21 AM. Taka ended up having to fix everything up as Mondo seemingly had no idea of knowing which towels were for the kitchen and which ones were for the bathroom.

Mondo flopped onto the couch all tuckered out after being scolded repeatedly to rearrange the plates now stacked in a disorderly fashion on the kitchen counter. The apartment was dead silent, and all the previous excitement they had evaporated. Taka ventured over to the couch, holding a photo close to his chest as to not break this one like he had with the other one, and joined Mondo.

"Here. This was the last item in the boxes. I thought that you might want to look at it." Taka's voice was hoarse, and Mondo was rather surprised by this, but he assumed it was due to the amount of shouting Taka had to do to get Mondo to hear his orders for the umpteenth time.

Mondo tiredly grabbed the photo from Taka's outstretched hands, his finger brushing over the one wrapped in gauze, the one in which all the cuts were buried underneath, and scanned the picture. He felt his eyes widen.

It was a picture of him and his elder brother, Daiya Owada. He was struggling to drive the motorcycle that was taking up over half of the photo due to a young Mondo covering his eyes and laughing in excitement, his eyes glinting with joy. The headlights flared in the picture, and the memory came back to him rather quickly.

_"Get your damn hands off my eyes, Mondo! I can't see shit!"_

_"Ooh, that's a dollar for the swear jar!" Eight year old Monda Owada laughed with glee as the motorcycle revved continuously, and he managed to wrestle a smile from Daiya's face._

_"Shut up, like you haven't swore before. I'll tell Dad, I swear."_

_The color drained from Mondo's face as his tone shifted suddenly._

_"P-Please don't, Daiya! You know I don't mean to right? You know I try?"_

_Sixteen year old Daiya Owada rolled his eyes despite not seeing anything anyways and stopped trying to drive._

_"I won't if you get your hands out of my face, Mondo." And the hands vanished as quickly as they had came. "Thank you." A sigh of relief escaped his lips._

_"You just got this, right? It's so cool! I can't believe Dad let ya have it!" Mondo jumped out of the boxcar and smiled enormously, unknowing that Daiya bought this motorcycle without their father's knowledge._

_Things weren't exactly great at home, with Daiya having to provide for the family more than his deadbeat dad and his oblivious mother. He saved up for a while to earn this one bit of freedom by working part time at the local convenience store, hardly spending a penny._

_"Yeah, but you shouldn't bring it up. Dad's kinda upset that I made him spend all that cash on it, ya know?" Mondo quickly nodded, trying to agree with everything Daiya spoke about. After all, he admired his brother more than anyone else in the world._

_Daiya liked it how Mondo chose to ignore all the bad things going on so far, but mostly cause Daiya had shielded him from anything his father tried to do in front of him. He didn't want Mondo to grow up scarred due to the past like he had. He truly cared._

_"Okay, well I won't if you let me get on again!" Mondo whined as Daiya started to rev the motorcycle again, trying to take off without his brother._

_Daiya sighed._

_"Get in the seat, dummy."_

The frame was smattered with tears, and Taka looked up to see Mondo in a state that he'd never seen before. His face was blotchy red, tear tracks coating his face, his eyes screwing shut and his eyebrows furrowing, and he started to sob uncontrollably, which was a huge surprise.

"Mondo! Are you okay?" Taka asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Fuck no! I wasn't! I never was! He tried his best to protect me and in the end he died due to my own shitty selfish reasons! I'm so stupid." Mondo ran a hand through his curly hair, hiccuping now, but still sobbing and crying loudly, startling Taka. "I'm such a dumbass!" And then he threw the frame to the ground, but it cracked and skidded off to the side of the floor instead of dramatically shattering the way Taka's did back at the outside of Hope's Peak.

Taka didn't know what to do, so he just wrapped Mondo in the tightest hug he could, and he heard his breath hitch the same way his own would frequently when he was around him.

"Mondo, please know that it was not your fault! Daiya always loved you and he knew that you could have never wanted him to die! So please don't get hurt! This is not healthy behavior and you will always resent yourself if you continue to act like this! You need to know that you are strong. You are!" Taka's bold words of encouragement echoed across the newly furnished apartment, and a strained sniffle came from the man below him.

"T-Thanks man. You really know how to h-help me." Mondo smiled, still sniffling, his eyes shut. "I stink to hell, I should go take a shower." Mondo broke the hug and quickly walked out of the living room, seeming to want to get out of this incident as soon as he could. But the hug remained buried in his mind.

"I'll be going off to bed then." Taka replied, and heard a grunt from the bathroom, the shower now running. Taka looked back down at his feet, and then looked at the frame, shattered on the ground. He picked it up and was careful not to touch the shattered parts, but he carried it into Mondo's room which had a distinct smell of oil and cologne, and he placed it gently on his desk.

He smiled, and walked back to his own room, ready to get dressed for bed.

But as he lied in his bed, letting the covers engulf him, he couldn't stop thinking about the truck. The way Mondo cared for his hand made his legs go weak just thinking about it. But he had to get back to bed. After all, he just did that because they're friends.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was amazing to write! I really loved writing a part of Mondo's backstory, and I might continue some of it later on in the series. I had to include some connecting moments between the two of them to really express my true love for these precious people.  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Expect more soon!


	3. Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day is new, and Taka and Mondo have woken up rather late due to going to bed at around 2 AM. Well rested, they venture into the kitchen, and are greeted by a surprise that they were sure they'd never see again, but Taka does something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to include two more people in this chapter, so I've chosen a good (yet kinda) ironic mix, hope it's not too much of a shocker!  
> Also enjoy drunk Taka lol  
> I had to get some tension between these too, it's just getting good.  
> There is some mention of vomit, so you can skip the end if you feel uncomfortable about that, I had to include a tiny bit of angst too. I'm not really sure if it is angst actually, but I'm just guessing.

The bright sunlight filtered through the blinds, showcasing the dust particles in their full glory. The newly furnished room gleamed in the sun, and it smelled of oil and cologne. The tree leaves outside slowly brushed against the window, creating deep contrasted shadows that stretched throughout the area. The clock showed 11:30 AM, and as Mondo slowly sat up, he wasn't too upset to be sleeping in. He just wanted to lie down again and start thinking about that rather strange set of events yesterday.

Taka was clumsy, and as a result cut himself on the glass while trying to help Mondo get it off his jeans. The pants in question lay on the chair across from the room, still slightly glinting with remaining pieces. Mondo didn't mind helping Taka out, of course, it's what friends would do. But the particularly nerve wracking moment he couldn't quite shake from his memory flooded back to him.

He remembered the noises Taka had made when Mondo tweezed the glass out of his hand, how different he sounded than before, and a red spread over his face as he groaned out loud. It was just a coincidence. Just a coincidence that his pants _happened_ to tighten when Taka made those sounds. That's what it was. They were just friends, and Mondo was almost sure he wasn't gay.

They're just friends, obviously. Taka comforted him early in the morning when Mondo revealed his soft side, and that's what friends do. But then Mondo remembered that day, where he _cried_ and showed his other side to Taka. He grumbled, hoping that it was all in the past. While he was thankful for Taka's words of encouragement, he didn't want to be known as a man who cries at 2 AM. That wasn't going to sharpen his image exactly.

As he heard the melody of the morning birds, he sunk back into the covers, and was just about to return to sleep, when a shrill noise echoed throughout the apartment and startling Mondo back upwards. It almost sounded like... broken glass? Mondo sighed deeply, assuming that Kiyotaka dropped yet another fragile object, and his suspicions were apparently confirmed as he heard an exclaim come from the kitchen. He rolled his eyes, getting pissed yet again. When was _he_ going to have to stop being the one looking out for Taka?

Mondo swung the door open, in boxers and a tank top, just about ready to raise his voice, when the following sight rattled him quite a bit.

Yes, glass was broken, but it didn't look like it was by Taka. In fact, Taka was hugging someone? And that's when he realized that he wasn't alone, and he _shouldn't_ be dressed like this.

"Woahhhh dude, morning wood got you good?" 

It was Leon Kuwata, sweeping up the broken wine glass that was scattered around the kitchen tile. Leon Kuwata? The man who dropped out of _Hopes Peak_ to become a world sensation in music? He had some balls. Mondo was about to respond when another voice was heard.

"Uhh, good... Morning?"

It was Sayaka, the country's pop sensation, dating Leon, the country's rock sensation, breaking the hug with Taka and trying not to avert her eyes down to Mondo's _regions._

"Oh shit! How the hell did you guys get in here? Sorry! Fuck, I-I'm sorry! Let me just... uh..." and Mondo rushed back into his room, slamming the door behind him. There was no way his junk was just exposed to two people who he'd thought he'd meet again while fully clothed. Letting out an exasperated groan, Mondo hurriedly rushed to change into an actual outfit.

Meanwhile, Taka's face flamed red, realizing that for the first time in forever he caught Mondo in underwear. But he wasn't going to let those thoughts sink back into his memory. Trying to remain normal, he turned back to Leon and Sayaka, who were also kind of shocked now. Sayaka looked kind of caught offguard, like she couldn't fully process it. Leon just broke out into an uproarious laugh.

"Damn! Did you really forget to tell him we were coming?" Leon laughed, his face turning red, kneeling over as he shook from how hilarious the situation was to him. "Well, at least he wasn't fully naked, am I right?" Leon continued to laugh, and it seemed he hadn't lost his rather crude sense of humor. But Sayaka's face turned purple as she clearly was uncomfortable.

"You should've told him in advance, Kiyotaka. I wasn't expecting to be seeing _two_ pairs of... well... you know what today." She wiped her face and looked away, not really realizing that she just implied that she saw another one. Taka's eyes turned to Leon, who stopped laughing and he himself had a blush spread across his face.

"You guys-" Taka started, but Leon quickly changed the subject.

"So, you're probably wondering why we brought the wine glasses, eh?" He wiped up the remaining shards into the dustpan with a broom and went to dispose of them in the trash can to his left. "Well, we thought we'd bring a surprise," and Leon reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a rather large bottle of red wine, smiling at Taka. "But now we only have three glasses, and I'm sure as hell gonna have some."

Sayaka turned back around. "I'm not going to have any. I've got a concert today, and I can't risk getting drunk in any way. Summer still is work for me, you know. And you too! You've got one tomorrow, so you shouldn't exactly try anything funny."

Leon rolled his eyes. "Sayaka, if I have a glass today it's not going to hurt me tomorrow. I know I'm always great no matter what anyway! That's my motto!" Sayaka smiled, seemingly enjoying the rather obvious carelessness her boyfriend had.

"Wait, you brought wine? _WINE?_ We are under the drinking age, Leon! It's twenty in Japan, but we are only eighteen! You do understand this is breaking a law? We could go to.. to JAIL!" Taka freaked out, and began walking around the room listing various reasons why underage drinking was a bad idea. Leon's shoulders slumped and Sayaka whispered in his ear.

"You should've known he would act like this."

Leon walked up to Taka and tried to get him to calm down.

"Listen, man, stop getting your panties all bunched up." That sentence made Taka flush. "So what if we have a little bit? I know we aren't twenty yet, but it's not like I'm asking you to try vodka or anything. You seriously need to loosen up a little bit sometimes."

"I am the Ultimate Moral Compass, Leon. As much as I appreciate the offer, I cannot. It would go against all that I stand for." Taka seemed unwilling to budge, his mind set in stone.

"At least I tried, right?" Leon turned back around and sulked to the table, opening the bottle, preparing to serve just him and Mondo. Taka didn't like seeing people unhappy, and while he wasn't supposed to encourage underage drinking. he wasn't supposed to encourage upset behavior either. He looked down.

"A-Alright, I'll do it. But just once!" Taka exclaimed, and Leon turned around seemingly ten times more happy then when Taka first saw him. 

"Hell yeah, man! That's what I like to see!" Leon slapped Taka on the back as he walked up to the table, earning a startled grunt from the nervous boy. "You'll be fine, just relax." 

Taka complied, and sat down rigidly. His posture was still all stiff, and he was wearing a white long sleeved shirt and black leggings. Even though he had no use of wearing his white uniform he loved so much, he still wanted to dress somewhat modestly. Taka's clothes were rather loose, hiding his muscles and his dreaded hips. He turned back and saw Mondo walk back out of his bedroom, an awkward smile on his face as he shut the door.

The familiar warmth entered his face as he remembered the scenario that played out just minutes ago. The one where he saw Mondo. But he should get his mind out of the gutter now. After all, Mondo was dressed, they moved on, end of story.

"Shit, guys, I'm sorry. I really had no idea you two were coming. Did you plan this?" Mondo looked at Taka with an eyebrow raised. That simple look was enough to make Taka fluster, and he looked away, 

"Yes, but I'm terribly sorry for not informing you earlier. I wanted to tell you, but they texted me so suddenly, and we were already in the process of moving everything so I tried to tell you later and-"

"Jesus, calm down Taka! It's fine, I really don't care. I just wish you told me so I didn't have to barge out of the room wearing underwear and shit!" Mondo quieted his voice, trying not to upset Kiyotaka anymore than he already was. But Taka wasn't upset, really. Just overwhelmed by this strange day. "So, you brought wine?" Mondo turned to Leon, still clutching the bottle, the cork off.

"Yeah. Thought we'd celebrate the grand scheme that was you two lovebirds moving in together," Leon laughed, and Sayaka smiled, them both enjoying how all of a sudden Taka and Mondo's faces changed. But Taka felt the familiar hot sensation bubbling up inside of him.

"W-We aren't dating." Taka said quietly, and Mondo just looked pissed.

"We aren't. So get your head out of your goddamn ass and shut up if you have nothing else to say." Mondo snapped, startling Leon, Sayaka, and even Taka. A different course of emotions made their way through him. It seemed that Mondo had no interest in being with Taka? Not that it was a bad thing. It was good! It had to be good. Now they can end this matter once and for all and just be best friends, the only thing they were really meant to be in the first place.

"Sheesh, sorry man." Leon scoffed, and silently poured the wine into the glasses in front of each of them, Sayaka excluded. The air grew thick with tension as Mondo's sudden outburst seemed to shift the mood entirely. Taka felt even more redness seep into his cheeks, as the awkward silence seemed to magnify and make his ears ring. Thus, as soon as Leon finished pouring the wine into Taka's glass, he quickly grabbed it and downed the entire thing as fast as he could, desperate to try to escape the room's tension.

"You're having some? At least slow down with that, this is probably the first time you've had any alcohol besides rubbing." Mondo chuckled, seemingly in disbelief at how fast Taka drank the red liquid. Taka finished the glass and realized that he started feeling a little dizzy, like everything was lighter all of a sudden.

"S-Shut up." Taka stuttered, surprising the other three at his sudden abruptness. He reached for the bottle again and seemed to try to seclude himself to that area of the table, ignoring Mondo starting a conversation with the couple about how their lives have been recently due to the hectic life of being music stars.

When Taka poured his third glass, he noticed his hands slightly quivered, but he ignored it. He was in too deep now, and this was the first time he had any beverage like this. He supposed he did deserve a break of some sort. He downed the glass a little slower than the previous two, trying to look past his slightly blurred vision, and he felt his face continuously get redder as he ingested more and more alcohol. He hiccuped loudly as he finished the glass, setting it down quickly. Mondo looked over, and a little bit of concern came across his face, while Leon just chuckled.

"Wow, what a lightweight. He really never had anything like this before, eh?" Leon asked, looking at Taka cover his eyes, blushing furiously due to the wine. "Maybe he should just stop..." he suggested, noticing that Taka wasn't looking anything like his normal self was.

His thighs were squeezed together, and his eyes were half open, red and glazed over a little bit. Ishimaru was hunched over slightly, his muscles relaxing, feeling sweat drip down his forehead. His view blurred and hazed, and he felt the buzzing in his ears grow louder, the dizziness overcoming him. He couldn't stop hiccuping, blushing a little more each time he did so.

Taka grabbed the bottle again, having had the most wine out of anyone there. He lost his previously confident and bold composure, and couldn't think straight as he poured his fourth glass. Getting drunk on wine and acting like this was so awful, that idea rested in the back of his head, but he couldn't help himself. He wrapped his shaky fingers around the stem of the glass and slowly brought it to his lips, drinking this one rather sloppily, and some wine slipped out of his glass and stained his pristine white shirt. He screwed his eyes shut and hastily finished it, before dropping the glass to the ground.

"Shit! Not another one!" Leon groaned, and Taka slowly reached down and tried to help clean it, but Mondo pulled him back up.

"W-What are y-you doingg?" Taka laughed unexpectedly and slurred, his hands pushing up against Mondo's chest. He noticed Mondo turn a slight shade of pink before reverting back.

"I'm stopping you, dumbass," and Mondo took the bottle out of Taka's drunken reach, earning a broken whine from Ishimaru, who appeared to act like a toddler.

"*hic* G-give it _baaack~"_ Kiyotaka seemed to moan the last word as he reached for the bottle in Mondo's outstretched arm, arching his back, his pants stretching slightly and revealing his rather curvy form. Mondo's eyes averted there for a split second but then left as he looked back to Taka, who had hopelessly fallen off Mondo and the chair, out cold.

"FUCK!" Leon and Mondo cried out at the same time, and Sayaka let out a gasp for two reasons. The first one being of course the fact that pristine intelligent Kiyotaka Ishimaru had passed out drunk on the kitchen floor, but also the fact that she would be late to her concert rehearsal if she didn't go immediately.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mondo, but we have to go. I need to get to my concert rehearsal, but I'm positive you'll help Taka." Sayaka tried to smile, but it's clear she wanted to get out of this situation. Leon apparently felt the same, and quickly walked over to Sayaka, holding her hand and saying goodbye.

"Bye, Mondo! Tell me what happens, alright?" and as quickly as they had come, Sayaka and Leon had rushed out of the door, the bottle and glasses forgotten.

Mondo growled, but he couldn't blame them. Who he could blame, however, was Kiyotaka, the Ultimate Moral Compass, now lying drunken on the floor. His eyes couldn't help but graze over his curvaceous figure. He never expected Taka to be this, well, _attractive._ Mondo flushed red, and looked up to his face, desperate to not think of his best friend in that way. It's obvious that Taka had no control over his oddly feminine voice earlier, but whenever he heard him talk like that, he couldn't help himself.

"Shut the fuck up." Mondo groaned to himself, and focused on instead helping his hopelessly drunken friend who was now slowly waking up due to that sentence.

"B-But I didn't s-say anything!" Taka cried, and tears spilled out from his eyes. "I-I'm kind of t-tired..." Taka sniveled, and he quickly jumped to his feet, or stumbled. He shakily walked to his bedroom door, face flushed, and his shirt stained red. His shirt!

"A-Am I bleeding? Noooo, that was my favorite s-shirt!" Taka slumped against his door and dropped down to the floor again, unable to stop his drunken tears from spilling out, and he was now freaking out because he didn't know if he had just been stabbed or not.

Mondo rolled his eyes. He'd seen this behavior from people in the past, including his gang members, but he never saw someone act like this due to _four glasses of wine._ It was all a massive shock to him, but he managed to keep calm and walk over to Taka, pick him up effortlessly, and open the bedroom door. He looked inside, never having seen Taka's room in all it's glory.

There were medals for a large number of academic related activities hung up on the wall above his bed frame. The room gave off a scent of lavender, and Mondo spotted an air freshener in the corner of the room. The room was incredibly tidy, with no dust or clothes scattered across the floor. A mirror was to his right, and he looked in it and realized how off this looks. _He_ was the one taking care of Taka. It was an unusual sight, but he wanted to do anything for his best friend. The room was cool, not burning hot like Mondo's somehow had been. The desk was all tidy, and it was overflowing with college textbooks and stationary, a hint that Taka already purchased everything he needed for his new university he'd attend at the end of summer. The wardrobe was open slightly, and when Mondo peered inside, he saw an array of relatively basic clothes. Taka never wore anything too flashy, after all. His normal pair of boots rested next to the door, laces all mussed.

Grunting slightly, Mondo laid Taka down on the bed, and Taka's eyes immediately began to flutter. The black haired boy underneath Mondo turned a bright red and shakily pulled the covers up and over him, turning to his side. He shouldn't think too much of it, and just focus on helping his friend.

"You should rest for the day, Taka. You're so drunk, heh." Mondo sighed before leaving the room, looking back and seeing Taka conked out again, and a loud snore emitted from his open mouth. Mondo just shook his head and sighed. He couldn't believe that the Ultimate Moral Compass was now a drunken mess lying in his bed in the afternoon. He shut the door behind him and decided to make breakfast for Taka, who was going to probably wake up soon still a little tipsy at least.

He smiled.

~~~

By the time Mondo was finished, the time read 3:47 PM. So this food would probably be a late lunch/early dinner. He didn't even know what category it would go in, all he knew was that he was fucking starving and he was sure Taka was too. Wine drunk people calm down quickly, so he hoped Taka would be at least a little more sober. He looked down and admired his dish, sort of surprised that it didn't turn out as bad as he had thought it would've.

Mondo's dream job was to be a carpenter, of course. He remembered the day he admitted that to Taka in the sauna, and he smiled, remembering how supportive he was. But Mondo cooked for his family, mostly his brother, a lot in his younger years. His brother was too busy taking care of the money and medical issues, as well as managing a gang, so even though Mondo wanted to be just like him, he had to learn how to be a decent chef.

There were two steaming plates of stir fry vegetables, complete with noodles and chunks of thick fatty beef buried inside them. Granted, he didn't make the noodles from scratch, instead using instant ramen. But he was a man who was very crafty, that's for sure. He was actually happy that for once he got dragged out of the apartment in the middle of them moving in to go grocery shopping.

Mondo grinned, admiring his handiwork. He couldn't stand being near the plates for too long without wanting to take a massive bite, so he walked away and got prepared to wake Kiyotaka up. 

His knuckles sharply rapped at the door once, twice, three times. And he couldn't help but get excited as he heard someone on the other side of the door slowly getting out of bed, grumbling and mumbling to themselves. The door swung open, and Taka was standing there, still in the wine-stained shirt and ruffled pants. He couldn't help but let a gasp escape his throat, and as his cheeks tinged pink, he quickly shut the door.

"Are you serious, dude? I couldn't care less if you got drunk, but you must be hungry. I made food, so I hope you're at least a little sobered up." The scent of the freshly made food wafted to the door, and it appeared Taka smelt it too, as he slightly opened the door and peered through the crack and into Mondo's lavender eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Mondo, but I don't think I'll be able to eat today. I still feel rather, well, intoxicated." Taka stuttered, clearly embarrassed. "I should have controlled myself. I shouldn't have drunk all of that wine. I committed a crime, and I paid the price. I'm terribly sorry." With that, Kiyotaka tried to shut the door again, but he got shut down by Mondo, who kept his foot in there. He winced at the pain but was able to handle it. "M-Mondo!"

"Look, man, you're at least a little better which is good, but if you don't eat anything you'l get sick. Alcohol gets you dehydrated and hungry. At least try a little bit, please?" Mondo asked, trying not to sound too desperate at the end of his sentence. He looked into Taka's slightly drowsy eyes, which looked away at him. 

"You know more than me about that? Unacceptable." He exclaimed, before sinking out of his bold persona. "B-but I guess I could try at least a little bit." Taka opened the door and walked to the kitchen, his red stained shirt still on him, and it confused Mondo as to why Taka had made no effort to change or even tidy himself up. He assumed it was because he was still drunk. "But I still can't w-walk properly, everything is a little fuzzy." He stumbled down into the chair at the kitchen table and rested his forehead on the cool table, sighing in relief at the pleasant sensation.

Mondo smiled softly, and picked up the two steamy plates of food, still hot to the touch. He walked back to the table and gently placed the plates on the cool surface, sitting down himself. Taka perked up and looked at the food, grinning at the gesture.

"Thank you, Mondo. I'm starving now that I think about it. I'm surprised you can cook this well." Kiyotaka grabbed the utensils laid out in front of the plate, and began eating in a proper manner, his cheeks pink as he realized Mondo was looking at him. Taka looked down and tried to keep his pace, but this was the only food in his stomach since yesterday morning, and he really was incredibly hungry now that he thought about it. "T-This is really good." Taka stuttered, trying to stay out of Mondo's eyesight.

"Thanks, man. I try, ya know?" And Mondo began to eat as well.

A clatter was heard as Taka dropped his fork, his face suddenly turning grey. Taka's eyes widened and he held a hand to his mouth, shakily stood up, and speed walked to the bathroom. He threw open the door and ran in, trying to maintain his composure. Mondo looked bewildered, wondering if it was because of the food. 

"Ah shit, was it that bad?" Practically jumping out of his chair, he ran to the bathroom where Taka was, and looked at him.

Ishimaru was kneeling down, hand on his stomach, head above the toilet bowl as his face turned several colors at once. Painful groans were heard from the inside of his throat and he began to gag. Mondo knew what was coming. He shut the door and was going to wait outside. Vomit generally disgusted him. 

Soon enough, he heard retching and vomiting coming from the bathroom, along with exasperated cries from Taka. He shivered at how long it went on for, even though Taka barely ate anything. He suspected it wasn't because of the food, but rather due to the fact that Taka was previously on an empty stomach for almost 24 hours, then had alcohol for the first time, got incredibly drunk, and ate fattening food in the afternoon.

"You done, man?" 

More retching.

"Guess not."

This continued for five minutes straight, and then he heard the shower water turn on. It appeared that Taka was going to clean himself up after this mess of an incident, at least he got some sort of composure back to his brain. Mondo sighed, expecting that Taka wouldn't be out for a while, and decided to stay until he left anyways. He didn't have anything else to do in the meantime, and plus, he genuinely cared about his best friend.

Soon enough, the bathroom door opened, and Taka walked out, just wrapped in a towel.

"Jesus, ya fucking scared me." Mondo said, touching his back. Taka jumped about five feet in the air at this and turned around, clutching onto the towel for dear life.

"O-Oh, um... I'm really sorry about that, I should've known to not eat that quickly after I was intoxicated. P-Please refrigerate the food, I will make sure to eat it later when I feel... Better." and Taka turned away, rushing back to his bedroom, legs still quivering slightly. "Sorry about this incident again!" he called out, shutting the door rather loudly. Mondo just groaned, and supposed he'd go back to his room anyways. He should have expected this. The moment he does something remotely nice, it has to backfire. Why does he have the worst luck?

Meanwhile, Taka lied down, wrapped in his warm covers. He felt thousands of emotions, and the main ones were disgust and guilt. Taka was disgusted with himself for giving in to committing a crime and getting so incredibly intoxicated at that. What a mistake all of that had been. His now destroyed shirt laid in the trash bin in the bathroom, all ruined because of his poor choices. He felt so guilty, so bad, for throwing up the dinner that he was sure Mondo had taken so long to prepare for him. Taka really couldn't catch a break, could he? He felt his sides hurt, and decided to fall back asleep, still feeling somewhat drunk.

Mondo lied in his bed, pondering what just happened. Taka couldn't have hated his cooking, last he checked. After all, he put nothing out of the ordinary, and Taka had no allergies as he knew himself. He should've thought of the fact that immediately eating that much fattening food right after getting drunk with nothing else in your system isn't a good idea. Why did he always care about himself so much? Groaning, he turned to the side and tried to drift off, hoping that this strange matter would all be wrapped up and forgotten about by tomorrow.

Kiyotaka knew he would make it up to Mondo, one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taka will make sure to make up this moment to Mondo! Of course he will! But the question is...  
> how?  
> Agh, I loved writing this! I hope you guys liked this too! I tried to make it long enough. I'm so excited to start chapter four.  
> Excuse my writing, I tried to import elements based on how I thought these people would act, but feel free to leave suggestions down below! I kinda feel like I rushed the last part because I was getting ready to go somewhere, but next chapter will not have that same thing, don't worry!


	4. Grateful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the stress filled day ended, Taka began to feel bad for Mondo. He went ahead and got drunk and then got sick because he ate the food that Mondo took so long to prepare. He knew he had to make it up to him somehow. But, how?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some slight ~thoughts~ in the beginning, nothing serious however.  
> I tried my hardest to make it fluffy! But I couldn't resist adding more sexual tension filled moments. The rest of it is adorable though!

Of course! Now he understood!

After a deep session of thinking what Mondo really likes, Kiyotaka narrowed everything down to three subjects.

Motorcycles.

Cooking.

Cursing.

The last one could probably be modified in someway.

Taka had a plan all set up and ready to go. He was ready to make up for his set of mistakes that he made yesterday. Oh, how the memories came flooding back. Well, the ones he could remember, anyways.

The previous day just felt like a fuzzy haze, due to Taka getting overtly drunk due to four glasses of wine. He didn't have any alcohol experience, but he knew that that was not a lot to get drunk off of, and he knows that wine is one of the most tame drinks out there.

Oh god. What did he do? Did he somehow tell Mondo about all the feelings? Did he attempt anything more? He shouldn't have given into Leon, no matter how upset he seemed.

No, he was sure he hadn't. After all, Mondo seemed to act rather normal in the parts that Taka could remember. Sure, kind of annoyed that he was coughing up the food that took hours to make, but besides that, normal in every way.

As he finished the last stroke on his pad of paper neatly, he held it up, looking at it with the early sun coating it in his room. Taka was relatively happy with his idea. There was a reason why he was so smart, after all.

The plan read the following.

**MAKE CAKE FOR MONDO OWADA  
** **KEYPOINTS:**

**1) MOTORCYCLES**

**2) COOKING (THEREFORE CAKE)**

**3) CURSING (WILL USE THE WORD FRICK IN PLACE)**

Below the short yet strongly worded list, he doodled a sketch of what he wanted the cake to look like. A chocolate cake with a mini motorcycle in the center and the words "I'm so fricking sorry' surrounding it. Taka admired his handiwork. Mondo was going to love this!

Unless he wouldn't?

Maybe Mondo wouldn't even eat it, too angry to do so?

Maybe he would throw it away?

Maybe he would purposely get sick to make Taka go through the same treatment he gave him yesterday?

No, of course not. Kiyotaka shook his head and tried to spread a smile across his face. Mondo wouldn't do that. His kyoudai wouldn't do that. For sure. He would like it, of course he would, and everything would be perfect again. Just perfect.

Right?

Yes, right.

Right.

~~~

Hours later, the time showed 11:30 PM, that same time being the one where Taka decided to get excessively drunk. He looked back at the oven, trying to clear his mind, before it setting in that he needed to clean up the kitchen. While Ishimaru had tried his best as to not make a mess, there was still the expected clutter.

The mixer was off to the side, batter still in the bowl. Whisks and spoons of different sizes lay around the counter, covered in various substances. The motorcycle toy's packaging was hidden out of plain view, but upon closer look, it was tucked into a small corner.

There were only 15 minutes left, he supposed he could try to make the kitchen spotless in that amount of time. No, he knew he would, because he wasn't a quitter in any circumstance.

Taka quickly got to work, first gathering all the utensils, bowls, plates, and taking the mixer bowl off the stand. He dumped them all in the otherwise empty sink, knowing he wouldn't have time to wash them.

Then, he proceeded to grab a rag off to the side, soak it in cold tap water, and wipe up the various powders and liquids off the floor. He looked back at it and was disgusted by the mess, so he quickly threw it away. It wouldn't be missed. It was just a dirty old rag. Taka hated messes, specifically ones that were grimy in one way or another.

Wow, he really was unlike Mondo.

Opposites attract, right? 

Clearing his continuously clouding mind, Taka finished cleaning the area, getting rid of the toy's packaging and any extra paper or shreds of mess left behind. He rechecked the area where the clean dishes were, and sighed in relief as the cake knife was still neatly placed there, along with two medium sized plates.

Granted, he checked that area about 15 times today, but it couldn't hurt to do it more.

Everything had to be utterly and completely perfect.

Speaking of perfect, he turned his head to look at the cleaned motorcycle toy, lying down on a paper towel slightly soaked in water. Kiyotaka didn't know much about motorcycles, so he got out of bed early to go to the supermarket and pick a random one from the toy aisle, which was the only thing he purchased really.

He felt a delicious scent waft up his nose, and realize it was the chocolate cake he had so delicately crafted. Running back to the oven, he realized there were only 35 seconds left on the timer. He quickly turned it off and hurriedly opened the oven door, too eager to wait that extra half a minute. Taka was just so happy! Nervous, yes, but happy as well.

The frosting he would coat the cake with lay in a big iron bowl to his right, the one thing he left untouched. Taka knew he had to leave the cake alone for 15 minutes before it cooled, of course, but he was so fed up with all this waiting. He didn't want to ruin the surprise, however, so he tried to think of a way, standing at the counter.

Normally, he'd study, regardless if there was school or not. He was a student, so it was his job after all. But with Mondo in the room next door, he started thinking of other possible scenarios he could occupy himself with. Summer was long, and while he couldn't hold off of solving at least a few problems, Kiyotaka wanted to have more... _fun._

Taka's face flushed as he felt the familiar wave of warmth spread throughout his body, starting in his abdomen and expanding to other areas. Areas he was too nervous to even think of. What was _he_ thinking of just now?

Taka wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what he was thinking about. But he had to hold it off. These indecent acts were so unlike him, the Ultimate Moral Compass.

He couldn't help but squeeze his thighs and whimper as the _indecent acts_ swam around his mind, making his face turn even redder and his breathing grow heavy.

He could imagine it right in his mind, all the things that could happen. Everything he could do. Everything Mondo could do. To him. Touch his soft chest and leave marks on his neck and caress his feminine hips and... Taka got lost in thought at all of this, leaning forward on the counter, unaware that a door behind him had just opened.

Mondo Owada walked out of the room, half grumbling as he was awoken by the scent of something he couldn't quite make out. The scent of... Cake? Now what was Taka doing baking at this strange time frame? But he was the Ultimate Moral Compass after all, Mondo supposed he had to do anything to keep himself busy.

Mondo got worried, looking at Taka in front of him, strangely unmoving. Then, he noticed the boy slightly shaking, his breath trembling. Was he _still_ drunk? No way, it was too long. But Mondo wouldn't be surprised of such a lightweight like him still having some traces in his system.

Mondo walked over to Taka and gently placed a hand on Taka, getting a strange noise from him. It sounded halfway between a moan and a cry, and Taka spun around, grabbing Mondo's wrist.

He was in an apron, flour dusting his reddening cheeks, legs trembling, his left hand clutching onto the counter for dear life it seemed. 

"M-Mondo! You shouldn't be here!"

Mondo caught Taka. Making the cake. Thinking like this.

Now it was _really_ all over for him! He could feel the tears already building up and threatening to spill out of his eyes. 

"Shit, sorry. You making something?" Mondo seemed rather unfazed by Taka, looking past the flustered expression and starting to peer at the workspace in front of Taka.

" _No!_ I am making nothing! Absolutely nothing! None of y-your concern as of right now, anyway. Please go back to your room, and I'll inform you when to c-come oout~!" Taka uttered the last part of his sentence like that due to the fact that Mondo's leg slightly brushed against the outside of his thigh, any touch being desperation at this point.

Mondo was rather confused at the way Taka spoke, his voice first sounding caught off guard, then standard Taka, then a strange sound yet again. He'd only heard this fashion of how Taka spoke twice. Once when he reached for the bottle of wine, and the other when he was pulling the glass out of his palm. Maybe it was because he was getting a surprise?

A _surprise!_

Mondo felt his heart flutter at the thought. He hadn't had a proper surprise in a while, only getting them from Taka for his birthday and one or two other separate occasions. But when finals arrived and the days became too hectic, Taka drifted away from that sense, having to focus more than ever.

Mondo understood of course, but he felt his heart ache a little all those times when Taka wouldn't do those things for him anymore, let alone having time to interact with him.

But now if it would all come back, that would be the greatest thing in a while! Not wanting to ruin anything, Mondo tried to ease the situation, as Taka looked rather odd as of right now.

"Shit, Taka! I didn't mean to intrude or anything. I'll come back, I hope I'll get to have some of that, heh." Mondo smiled, seemingly unfazed by Taka's speaking pattern. He turned and walked back to his room, a slight pep in his step. Taka sputtered, confused in a lot of different places, the main one starting to calm down.

Why did he act so nonchalant? Did he just not notice Taka's behavior? And why did he walk away so much happier than when he entered? Well, as long as he didn't suspect anything, Taka was fine with that. He felt the slight arousal go away quickly, and realized the cake had cooled down.

It seemed that with all of those lewd thoughts and that strange interaction with Mondo, the time had decided to move faster.

But Taka didn't complain.

He went back to looking at the cake, trying to not let the heat on his face spread anymore than it already had. Taka began hurriedly frosting the cake, trying to keep calm. He was in a rather lucky situation after all, one where his best friend didn't notice that he loved him.

Wait.

Loved him?

_Loved him?!_

Maybe Kiyotaka liked Mondo, but that's as far as he'd like to go.

Well, loving Mondo wouldn't be crazy, right? They've been so close, Taka feels like Mondo knows him better that he knows himself.

But he can't. They're _just. friends._ Nothing more, nothing less.

...But was he telling himself the whole truth? Taka didn't want to bottle up his feelings anymore, he didn't want to lie to himself. But he isn't, right? Taka didn't love Mondo, they're only meant to be friends. And if he told Mondo that he _loved him, and thought about him every night,_ he'd probably get decked in the face as soon as the last word leaves his lips. But Mondo wouldn't do that. At worst he'd just never talk to him again.

But that would never happen, because Taka didn't love Mondo.

Right?

~~~

"Everything is finished, kyoudai! Please come into the kitchen as soon as you can!" Taka rapped on Mondo's door, trying to contain his excitement. He barely had time to breathe after that sentence because the door swung open and hit the wall. Taka jumped out of the way, barely avoiding getting slammed in the face with a door.

"Hell yeah! Alright, what do we got? Ah man I'm so excited!" Mondo cried out, and Taka noticed that he was dressed in a tank top and shorts. This shot a feeling up into his chest, but it had gone as quickly as it had come.

"W-Well, if you could try to stay calm, I'd be happy to show you." Taka said assertively, his posture more stiff. Mondo obliged, and immediately changed his act.

"Sure," the reply was so nonchalant, did Mondo really wanna see the cake that bad? Well, Taka wasn't complaining. 

"Okay, come on!" Taka jumped, and speed walked into the kitchen, hearing Mondo close behind him. He turned around, not wanting Mondo to see it too early. "You should sit down, okay? I'm going to bring it out. Oh, have you had anything to eat, by the way? It's around one I assume, so you must be hungry. I just had all the cereal bars in the pantry." Taka looked away at that last sentence, trying to not make it sound like he was irresponsible with his eating habits. Normally he'd be all over himself, trying to eat properly and healthily, but Taka couldn't do anything else today except make the cake.

"Nothing, but I'm willing to just eat cake today." Mondo grinned, and seemed like a child in a way, wanting to eat nothing if it meant he could have sweets.

"That's not healthy, Mondo. You need to stick to a balanced diet!" Taka scolded him. But Mondo waved his hands in the air.

"So what if I'm off for a few days? I work out and I have to manage a biker gang, so one day ain't gonna do much exactly." Taka forgot that this summer, Mondo had more duties than him. It came as a slight shock of course, but Taka didn't want to partake in any violent behaviors, and he hadn't touched a dumbbell in a while, so he didn't mind all that much. "Plus, you just told me you ate all the cereal bars? Don't contradict yourself there!"Mondo laughed, using a word he hardly used. _Contradict._ Taka was happy Mondo tried to expand his vocabulary, or maybe he was just really eager to get the cake. 

"You got me there." Taka smiled, and turned back around. "Okay, just a minute." Taka could practically feel the excitement radiating off of Mondo, and as he brought the cake over, he felt it magnify.

"Fuck yeah!"

Back to old Mondo.

Taka gently sat the cake down on the table in the middle, and went back to get the knife, forks, and plates. He returned and placed them on the table, spreading everything out.

"W-Well, tada! Although it was kind of a weakened introduction anyways." Taka realized, because he gave Mondo plenty of time to look at the cake.

Mondo didn't speak, he just stared at it, seemingly lost in thought.

"M-Mondo? If you don't want it, you can just tell me, I don't want you to be disappointed." Taka nervously swallowed. Was all of this about to backfire? Mondo probably didn't want it anymore and was trying to hide his disgust. Taka turned away, and felt the tears pool up in his eyes again.

"THIS IS AMAZING!"

The loud yell echoed throughout the room, and Mondo laughed as his eyes now seemed to sparkle.

"You did this? This is great! So fucking great! Wow, look at that motorcycle, you really outdid yourself, shit!" Mondo smiled widely, pointing at everything, not at all acting what he looks like he would. "But... What is this for?" and he pointed to the small sugar letters surrounding the motorcycle. They read;

_I'm so fricking sorry!_

"Oh, that. Well, to tell you the truth, Mondo. I-I just..." Taka looked away, knowing he was about to launch into a monologue. 

"Yesterday made me feel awful. I first was irresponsible, listened to Leon, and got drunk. Then I proceeded to act like a hooligan. I don't remember my drunk period all that well but I know it couldn't have been good." Taka started, confident in his speaking. Mondo listened, and the drunk Taka flashed back in his memory.

"O-Oh, yeah. Go on." Mondo flushed slightly and looked away, thinking of that tense day.

"And then later on, you cooked for me, and you tried super hard, but I couldn't control myself and I got sick and I didn't even finish the food. I'm so sorry I wasted your time! All of this never would have happened if I was just more, well, _SMART!"_ Taka cried out that last word, feeling ashamed of himself, as all the emotions came flooding back to him. "I tried to show you that I really am sorry, hence why I made this cake. It cannot fix the past, but I hope it will shape our future!" and with that, Taka bowed while still in the chair. It seemed that he still wanted to make the apology formal.

The room was silent for a few seconds, Taka's eyes closed, sweat beginning to form. Did he go too far?

"You're unbelievable."

"W-What?"

Taka looked up at Mondo, who's expression wasn't readable. His face seemed to be set in stone, but his eyebrows went up, giving him a slight worried look.

"I'd never be mad at you, Taka. We all make mistakes. Sure, you had alcohol, it surprised even me. But you couldn't exactly know that all the following stuff would happen."

"I was naive, Mondo, I thought I would be fine." Taka began to stutter.

"No, you weren't, you were normal. I made the same mistake about a year ago, except with a stronger drink. I was too caught up in my dumbass self to realize that I shouldn't be doing this, but I did. It's life. You make mistakes, and it's alright in the end anyway." 

"Well, what about the f-food? You worked so hard on that and-"

"Oh, that was all my fuckin' fault." Mondo interrupted, looking off to the side.

"What? How?" Taka looked mildly shocked, surprised that Mondo would so easily blame himself.

"I made you that food without thinking of _you_ in a way. I wanted to be recognized for my cooking. I never had before, because I always had to do it for my family growing up. So I guess I wanted praise, but I used you as an excuse, and that was so goddamn selfish of me. I really wanna fuckin' know what goes on in my head sometimes, because I should have known that eating that quickly right after your stomach was empty and you were still kinda drunk wasn't good in any way."

"B-But I ate it! I should be the one at fault, Mondo!"

"You ate it cause you're nice. You're so smart and... and nice!" Mondo seemed to blurt out the last words, slightly yelling. 

"I-I am?" Taka wondered out loud, flustered by the compliments that Mondo gave him.

"Yes, you are, you're everything I'm not and so much more. You're one of the best things that ever happened to me, don't you ever forget that." Mondo smiled, and shifted around in his seat. "Fuck, did I say that out loud?" His cheeks tinged pink.

"Thank you, kyoudai!" Taka cried out. "I will never let anything stand in the way between me and you! We are so strong together and you're amazing in every way! Now, let's feast on this amazing cake!" Taka announced that like a sports commentator, excited but bold. 

Mondo just smiled.

"Hell yeah."

And Taka cut the first slice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I did good on the ending! This is totally how they'd be if this happened! I feel like my writing really captured everything about them! And this chapter was so fun to write! But i hope you guys enjoyed it too, and tell me so, because it really motivates me to make even more! Hope you all enjoyed these two cuties.


	5. Home Alone~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Mondo leaves early in the morning to return to his gang, Taka is left alone for most of the day. He wants to study, but something else takes over his mind. Something that he never attempted before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING  
> All chapters that contain explicit NSFW will have a ~ at the end of it. This chapter contains NSFW. If you do not want to read it, feel free to skip ahead. For those of you who choose to skip, Taka masturbates and then freaks out at the end.  
> Now, for those of you who are choosing to stay, get ready to experience my inexperienced smut writing.

Taka dipped his teabag in and out of the hot water in the mug, relaxing slightly at the table. The same table where he and his best friend Mondo Owada enjoyed the cake he worked so hard to prepare. Just the thought of that day made Taka's cheeks flush, and he was happy he could spend yet another moment with his amazing friend.

Just a friend, of course.

Kiyotaka loved how much Taka liked his cake. Something _he made,_ and he got praise for it. The wonderful feeling of having somebody enjoy the thing that he crafted sent butterflies up Taka's stomach, and that day now held a special place in his heart.

Taka looked up as Mondo's door opened, and he saw him step out of his room, but he noticed something was different.

Mondo was dressed in his usual biker getup, much unlike the past few days where he was dressed more casually. Even though Taka knew he had to run the gang and all, he felt his heart drop slightly. Taka had no work to do anymore, but this wasn't like how he would've been years ago.

The past Taka would have yelled in the current Taka's face, saying how disappointing he was that just because it was summer, Taka decided to take a break with studying. And Taka himself as of right now knew he wouldn't continue like that for much longer. He couldn't, it was in his blood.

However, when he moved in with Mondo, he felt much more relaxed. Almost like he didn't need to do anything to occupy himself, because he already had someone for him. He normally would have been studying so early in the morning, it being 6 AM and all, but he just wanted to wake up spend his time thinking about Mondo. That could be studying in some way, right?

"Mondo! You're up rather early. Why are you dressed like that?" Taka decided to inspect Mondo a little closer. He wore his infamous black jacket, with _crazy diamonds_ embroidered on the back of it. His curly hair was styled back in his pompadour. Taka never quite understood why he wore that hairstyle, but he supposed it wasn't too bad. Taka could see his pectorals exposed from his white shirt, which couldn't help but drive him a little crazy. His belt wrapped around his muscular waist, and his flaring pants ended just above his ankle. The last part of the look wasn't too crazy compared to the rest of the outfit, just a rather normal pair of grey shoes. But Taka enjoyed the simplicity of that. It tied it all up.

"Hey, Kiyo. I took a few days off from the gang cause of all the moving in and preparations and shit, but now I need to get back in there, ya know?" Mondo looked sort of down that he had to leave, but he tried to maintain his complexion. "We're having a long thing, so I'll be back kinda late. But then I won't leave as often, kay?" 

Taka's heart slightly ached, but he wasn't upset. Mondo had this whole thing going for him, of course he had to get back to it someday. Besides, maybe it's not bad he'll be out all day. Taka could have time to study again, and concentrate on himself.

"Oh, okay. I do hope you stay safe! Remember to stay below the speed limit." Taka said, knowing that Mondo had a tendency to disobey the law.

"Where I'm goin' ain't got much of a speed limit, but I'll keep that in mind, shit." Mondo grinned slightly before pulling his jacket up slightly. "Well, I'm off. See ya," and Mondo walked out of the apartment door. Taka looked back at his tea and realized it was ready, taking the tea bag and dumping it in the trash can next to him.

Now that his main distraction was gone, Taka could spend the day focusing on other issues. For example, he had to start working on the bills. Taka and Mondo shared the apartment, so they both had to pay their dues. Mondo was the leader of the country's largest gang, so Taka had no doubt he'd have enough at least for right now. But Taka was a different story.

As of now, he was unemployed, and was a summer student waiting for his first year of college to begin. So, he had to get a part time job.

The day was shaping up to be rather pleasant for Taka. Bills _and_ finding a job? It was an adulterating man's dream come true! So he decided to get to work, wasting no time at all.

~~~

Taka finally finished all his work, having settled the bills for this month. He would pay his share with his savings over the years. It hurt him slightly and made a decent dent in him, but he knew he'd make the money back soon enough when he got his job.

The job Taka applied for was a part time tutor for high school students. He loved studying and schoolwork, and since he had no issue with any problem in math, he decided to try out for a math tutor. Taka himself was going to major in political science, wanting to become prime minister of Japan so he could clear his family's debt, but math was, well, easier. For him at least.

When he had finished with his two main tasks, he decided to clean up the apartment, re organize everything, and start making his university preparations, which turned out to be the longest thing he did for the day. University was no joke, and Taka had to focus quite a bit so he could really set everything up properly to ensure his year would be perfect.

He leaned back, wondering what he should do now. The clock to his right side of his desk was showing that it was 7 PM, so it was slowly descending into nighttime.

Taka's first thought was to study, obviously. Review, redo, renew, all that jazz. That was his motto for all of high school, so he had no reason why he should stop it all of a sudden.

He was about to grab a textbook from his drawer when something caught his eye.

It was a photo of him and Mondo at the beach, during last summer. He remembered that day fondly. Mondo had practically dragged him to the sand, trying to pry him away from his diligent reading in the car ride. But soon enough, he managed to loosen Taka up quite a bit, and thus, the photo showcased the two doing a one on one volleyball battle. Even though Mondo had quite a bit of an upper hand, the day was still great for the both of them.

Taka was about to put it back when he saw that Mondo's swim trunks tightened around his glutes, and his buttocks, and his-

What was he thinking about? Surely he wouldn't revert to that state of him being obsessed at everything Mondo had done? No, he wouldn't, he was a decent man with decent morals and decent expectations, and he wasn't going to let his best friend's body mess it all up.

His best friends body, which glimmered in the sun, as his strong muscular arms hit the ball and it flew way over Taka's head, showcasing his prominent hips. He could imagine Mondo grabbing onto his hips with those arms, feeling his ass, feeling his hot tongue venture over it, feeling his di-

"Nngh-" Taka whined, wanting to control himself. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't resist this time. The familiar heat exploded inside his stomach, and he felt it in every single muscle of his body, crying out in ecstasy.

He couldn't control this feeling, he couldn't let it creep up on him like this and take him over completely like it had so many times before. Kiyotaka blushed furiously as he felt his pants tighten, and his thighs squeezed together, clutching the picture.

He supposed it couldn't hurt to just take care of it _once,_ right?

Slightly shaking, he held the photo tightly to his chest as he walked over to his bed, carefully sitting down. Taka knew it was healthy to do this around his age, but, well, he never did. He never felt anything like this, until Mondo came into his life and made him feel all these emotions. But if nobody _knew,_ it would be fine. Maybe it could be a learning experience?

That's right, he'd just think of it as a... _learning experience._ Trying something new, all he was doing. 

His hand quickly ventured down to the waistband of his sweatpants and pulled them down, his breathing growing heavy. Taka realized how desperate he was getting, but he knew it was too late to turn back now. The bulge in his boxers was prominent, and he shakily took them off, exposing his lower half to himself and his room.

The door was locked, right?

Good.

Nobody would be able to witness the Ultimate Moral Compass.

Taka wrapped a hand around his dick slowly but surely, quivering at the feeling, his breath becoming disheveled. He looked back at the photo in his other hand, and felt himself harden even more as he stared at Mondo's half naked body, enticing him to no end.

Taka looked down, and sweat began to drip down his forehead as he slowly moved his wrist in fluid up and down motions, making sure to cover every part of his cock. He brushed his thumb over the tip slightly and threw his head back in a mixture of guilt and pleasure, diving into the soft pillow. 

Still looking at the photo as he slowly began to sped up, Taka felt his legs quiver. His eyes rolled back into his head as the hot feeling of him touching himself overwhelmed him. His fingers ran up and down the shaft, and he felt the precum slick it up, making the experience smoother for himself.

"O-Oh god! U-Ughhh~!" Taka's hips bucked up as strings of moans and cries escaped his lips, rather feminine. He felt so vulnerable now, exposed like this, but he couldn't help but continue. The person he wanted the most with him was Mondo right now.

Taka continued at a steady pace, or he tried to for about a minute or so. He whined softly, accompanied with the other sounds that he never heard himself make before. His hand shook as it worked away at his hard dick, making Taka screw his eyes shut.

The air grew thick with tension as the noises increasingly got louder and louder, Taka beginning to move his hand faster than ever before, his legs crossing and his face sweating. Precum steadily flowed out of the tip, causing the action of Kiyotaka masturbating to now have sound, and it just made Taka want even more.

Mondo could be the one doing this to him, right now. Taka's eyes crossed and rolled into his skull, glazed over with lust, as every muscle in his body went rigid, thinking of Mondo making love to him. He wanted that more than anything else in the world at this moment. All other thoughts vanished from his mind.

He could imagine it right now, the sensation of Mondo's muscular hand quickly working away at his cock, destroying the boy beneath him. He could practically feel the kisses on his heated lips, feel Mondo on top of him, pleasuring him in a way Taka never thought was humanely possible.

"F-Fuuuuhhh~" Even though Taka was so deep into this sensation, he tried not to curse, though they almost fully escaped his lips sometimes. He wanted to swear while Mondo was inside him, pounding into him roughly, their skin slapping together, him making love to Taka's curves that he wanted him to touch oh so much, muttering indecent things into his ear all night long. "O-Oh my god! Mondo, p-please~!"

Taka felt so close to screaming from the unimaginable level of emotions rushing through his brain as his hand worked at him, getting faster and faster. Tears began to pool in his eyes and he let the photo fall onto his bed, burying his now free hand in his hair, desperate to have something to cling on to. His teeth clenched and his breathing was irregular and ragged, accompanied by moans and cries. He could swear hearts were in his pupils, and he began drooling slightly.

Kiyotaka knew his climax was near, and the boy felt tears fall down his cheeks and drip onto his heaving chest. All of a sudden, a wave of the most intense pleasure washed over him as he felt his dick heat up. It felt like his stomach was filling up with honey, and a burning sensation coursed throughout his abdomen as he knew what was about to happen.

His eyebrows furrowed, his teeth gritted, his legs shook uncontrollably, he stopped breathing, and his eyes crossed and rolled back all at once as Taka let out a scream of pleasure, feeling his insides explode. He felt like he was stuck in time, no end to the beautiful wave of ecstasy that overcome him. He felt himself release onto his hand and his chest, each spurt making him dig deeper into his bottom lip, sure he would draw blood soon.

The scream faded away, and was dissipated by a string of cries and moans that escaped Taka's soft lips. He felt his climax come to an end as his hand slowed down and stopped completely, shaking. Now he was shuddering in his room, lying down, his orgasm all over himself. The moment was unlike anything else he had ever experienced before, and Taka's cheeks flushed pink as he closed his eyes, whimpering slightly, hand still on his dick.

He shakily rose from his bed, breathing still quite erratic, and gently took the tissue box on his nightstand, wiping his cum off his hand and his chest. Taka was lost in thought for some time as he lied back down into the sheets of his bed, which felt ten times softer all of a sudden. He felt so relaxed, like nothing in the world could hurt him.

But then he heard the apartment door open, and he realized Mondo was back. It was around eight now, so Mondo was gone for an extremely long time. Taka jolted and practically jumped off the bed as he rushed to put his clothes back on, his normal senses returning. Along with the fact that...

_Oh my god._

_I just masturbated to the thought of my best friend and me having intercourse._

Taka freaked, racing around his room, regaining control of the situation. That blatant statement lingered in his mind, and still did as he gently opened the door to see Mondo looking through the fridge. He heard the door and turned around, a wide smile on his face.

"Holy fuck, Taka! Today was amazing! I'm so glad I reconnected with everyone, it really paid off to- Uh, hey, you alright? Your face is all red and shit, did something happen?"

Taka realized he probably looked like a huge mess despite being back in his clothes, and he tried his best to play off the situation.

"I-I had to, uhm, study. A lot. New stuff. Too much." Taka couldn't seem to speak in sentences anymore, thoroughly embarrassed.

Mondo was in disbelief by that. 

"Too much? For _you?_ Damn, glad I ain't going back to school," and he shut the fridge door, holding a yogurt. "I know it's eight and all, but this day was so long and had me so fuckin' tired, you wouldn't believe it. I'm clocking in early, good night Taka." Mondo tiredly walked past Taka and into his room, the door softly shutting behind him.

Taka was lucky. One more minute of that - that - that _incident,_ and he would have been caught for sure. He just decided to turn in early as well, feeling the aftermath of his climax take a toll on him, tiring him considerably. 

He walked back into his room, knowing he hardly had anything to eat today yet again. But he didn't want to do anything else. After _that_ thing he just did, that heinous act he committed, masturbating to his best friend, he wanted to do nothing else except disappear into his pillow and never return. 

That was impossible, though, so Taka had to settle for the next best option. Just going to bed.

Ignoring his alarm when he should have set it by now, he climbed underneath the covers, still warm from his previous presence. Kiyotaka Ishimaru sighed, clutched the picture frame to his chest that he had held a while ago, and flipped the light switch off before turning onto his side. 

Mondo would never find out about this.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, that was a ride for me.  
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Don't worry, there will be more smut eventually, but now I'm going to start focusing on the core of this fic. I just had to treat you guys with this, though.


	6. The Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Kiyotaka gets his first ever part time job - a high school student tutor - Mondo decides to surprise him there, but something rubs him the wrong way. Namely, Celeste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing the newest side antagonist of this story!  
> Incorporating other characters into my work is adventurous, and it gives me a lot more room to think! So I hope you guys will enjoy my ideas.

Kiyotaka smiled and puffed out his chest, walking into the tall building in front of him. He got the job right away, despite not needing an interview. He assumed it was due to the fact that he was from Hopes Peak, where you were basically set for life if you managed to graduate. The only reason he was continuing his education was because he wanted to push himself further, making sure he would have more stepping stones for his career path. The job in question was a high school student tutor.

He opened the first door to his left which lead into the small but lively tutoring center. A small dainty air freshener was plugged into the corner of the room, emitting a soft cinnamon scent. Taka relaxed a little, feeling more welcome. A woman with black hair sat at the receptionist's desk, her back turned, appearing to be looking over some papers she was holding. Taka breathed in, walked up to the woman in question, and tapped her shoulder.

And who sat behind that desk was a major shock to Taka.

"Celeste!?"

The woman was, indeed, Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler. She had earned quite the reputation for having a large sum of money, and for most of high school intimidated Kiyotaka. Celeste wasn't a student that spoke up, but he got an unsettling feeling whenever he looked into her red eyes, almost like she was taunting him in some way.

"What a surprise! I did not think you would come this early! No worries, it just means we can get started sooner." Celeste smiled softly, seemingly having almost no expression on her face. Another reason to intimidate Taka.

"Wait, you knew I was coming? I had no idea you worked here. Why _do_ you work here, exactly?"

An embarrassed look flashed across Celestes face, and she looked down, toying with one of her long black drills with her pale fingers.

"I knew you were coming, of course. You are continuing your education, no? It doesn't surprise me, really, you always strive to be the best." Celeste seemed to be avoiding the question, almost like she didn't want to tell Taka why she was working here.

She amassed a large amount of money during her gambling years, and Taka was sure she was worth at least ten times more than his family, but that was just a low balling guess. So why was Celestia Ludenberg of all people working at this small tutoring center?

"You aren't going to respond to me? I see. You are probably surprised why I got stuck at such a tedious job," her accent played out a little too dully, making it look like she had no interest even talking to Taka.

"Well, I did somehow consider you a friend. So I will tell you. But you must not laugh, so many people did." Celeste almost looked... sad. But Kiyotaka never saw Celestia Ludenberg of all people sad. He reminisced of how confident she was during high school, not speaking up a lot, but whenever she did, it sent a slight chill down his spine.

"Of course not, Celeste. It is my duty to support my friends." Kiyotaka bowed slightly and smiled, which brought a smile to Celeste's pale face.

"Thank you, Kiyotaka. You have not changed. I always remembered you being confident." Celeste said softly, looking him back in the eyes. "Okay, here is the story. I... lost a gamble."

Celeste _lost_ a gamble? _Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler, lost a gamble?_

This was a shock to Taka, who tried to hide it on his face, but it appeared that it was rather obvious because of the next words that Celeste uttered.

"I know, you are shocked. I am too. But, listen, this was a shock to everybody. It didn't downplay my career, really, but my reputation has dropped a considerable amount since then."

"I was already on another huge winning streak when I graduated, amassing a sum of 500,000 dollars in a large bet that I took place in. It was rather usual for me, yes, but it still gives me that happy feeling. Something about watching your opponent crumble in front of you is rather, fun, is it not?" Celeste smiled, but Taka knew that smile anywhere. She hid behind a cutesy facade, and Taka heard rumors of her having massive freakouts whenever she didn't get her way. It was known that she loved to watch her enemies being taken apart.

"Anyways, right after I won that sum of money, a girl in a brown cloak challenged me. She wouldn't tell me her name, just that she wanted to go against me. She was rather shy, and it didn't look like she had much to offer, but I was so lost in happiness from my recent winnings that I accepted. If I won, she would give me all her property that she said she owned in Paris, the total adding up to over 50 million dollars worth of land. If she won, however, her only request was that I fill in at her family business for the rest of the year, until Christmas. It seemed like such a foolish offer. If I win, I get land, and if she wins, I have to work for her? It was rather laughable, and I was ready to watch her crumble." Celeste got lost in her monologue, her eyes darting around the cozy room as she spoke. "But. The unthinkable happened. We played one simple game of poker, and she _won!_ But I can't remember the last time I was forced to hear such things. Me? Celestia Ludenberg? Losing? Such a shock. Such DISGUST!" Celeste screamed that last word and Taka flinched, noticing that her anger began to build up as she came close to the end of her sentence.

"Oh. Sorry for my outburst. I never expected to lose, haha!" Celeste put her hands underneath her chin and grinned. "I guess it was good that I didn't lose anything, but working at this place so out of style hurts my heart," she dramatically sighed, and leaned back in her chair. "I was ridiculed a fair bit, losing all that land because apparently I made one slip up. And now everyone in my underground group thinks much less of me. I hardly get any offers." Celeste looked genuinely upset, and Taka felt sort of bad, but then again, he wasn't really sure. Celeste was a woman who loved to watch people's lives shatter for her own gain, so this loss must have not affected her as much as she made it out to be. "I won't go back in there. Not until I finish this... sad excuse of a job. I just have to be a normal receptionist, yes, but it is so much different from my regular life. Not nearly as exciting. But I suppose someone as abnormal as you, Kiyotaka, doesn't understand my struggle, hm?" she smiled when she said that, but Taka knew it was an insult coated in sweet syrup.

"I-I guess.." Taka didn't exactly know what to say, but he just wanted to get to work. He prefers studying over listening to his old classmate complaining about having to have a job. "Anyways, where do I start?"

Celeste scoffed, annoyed that Taka didn't pique interest in her story. But, since it was her job, she knew she had to do what he asked.

"Please, follow me." Celeste rose from her chair, her familiar lolita style skirt grazing the counter. She opened the door that led to the hallway where the tutoring cubicles were, and motioned for Taka to come to her. Her dress was huge, and in thin hallways, was always rubbed against by the walls. She lifted it with her dainty hands, and Taka heard grumbling coming from her. Celeste seemed to not enjoy this at all, much less the company of Taka right behind her.

They entered a rather large room, where there were a lot of cubicles that were color coded. Shelves of binders and textbooks of just about every subject lined the wall. However, there weren't any students there, and the silence seemed to hurt Taka's ears. She stopped in front of a cubicle that was painted dark blue, and they were lined up against the wall. 

"This is your cubicle. It will be where you do your paperwork for the day. You will get pay for this day, but you won't work. Instead, you will have to fill out all of this." Celeste traced her fingers across the shelf to her right and pulled out a binder labeled _Ishimaru, Kiyotaka._ "This is your confirmation work, and you have more because you did not get an interview."

Taka was excited at all of this paperwork, ready to occupy himself for the day. Celeste rolled her eyes and seemed rather pissed all of a sudden.

"Should have known you would act like this." 

"Should have known? Celeste, what exactly do you imply with that?" Taka questioned, because Celeste seemed to know more than met the eye.

"I pulled a few strings. I don't want to be all alone, because I don't know anybody else here. All the people working here are just so _basic._ No fashion sense, no hobbies, no interesting conversation topics in their minds. So when I saw you applied, I let you through without an interview."

"Really? I... Thank you, Celeste, it means a lot." Taka felt comfortable, knowing that a classmate cared about him that much to let him in without any preparations. "But, is it allowed?"

Celeste shrugged. "I don't know," she said stiffly. It looked like all that talk of her losing a gamble got her in a mood swing. "Just know I didn't do it for _you._ I'm bored. I don't care who I talk to as long as it's not one of those... those _mutts_ in that break room," and her voice shuddered as she uttered those words, thrusting a pointy index finger to the door at the far left of the room, and Taka assumed it was for the break room as she implied earlier. "I simply accepted you without one because nobody else I knew would come work here except _you,"_ that word was spoken with such... such malice. Taka knew Celeste would get like this, but he never experienced it first hand.

"You might as well be here to suffice me."

And with that strange shift of events, she sharply turned and walked away, her red mary janes clacking down the hallway again. 

Taka looked back at the huge stack of paperwork, wondering why Celeste decided to act like that. He had his fare share of bullying throughout his life, and struggled making friends because of his manner of acting, so he wasn't bothered by her words. But he began to suspect if Celeste was really telling the full truth about what went on in that gambling den. Looking behind him and then back in front of him, he started the paperwork, his blue pen in his pocket already ready.

~~~

**ALERT: 6:47 PM: New text from: Kiyotaka Ishimaru.**

**Kiyotaka:** _Hello, Mondo. I have finished my job for the day, but I took a taxi to the building. If I share my location, could you maybe pick me up? Thank you! :)_

**Mondo:** _shit, sure. share it, i'll be there in ten_

**Kiyotaka:** _Okay. Thank you._

**ALERT: Kiyotaka Ishimaru has started sharing their location with you.**

**Kiyotaka:** _Thank you, Mondo! Please tell me when you have arrived. I'll be in the main hall, so right outside the door._

**Mondo:** _np, i'll pick u up on my motorcycle._

**Kiyotaka:** _Oh, you don't have a car. Well, okay, but please bring a helmet. And if you are going to drive me back to the apartment, PLEASE abide the speeding limit. I can't exactly afford a ticket right now given my circumstances._

**Mondo:** _calm it, i know. you'd freak either way lmao_

**Kiyotaka:** _Thank you, kyoudai. You're amazing. :)_

**Mondo:** _you too_

~~~

Mondo pulled up outside of the tall building, looking it up and down. He did have a sense that Taka could have worked here. It had that essence that just radiated from him. He pulled out his cellphone, and texted Kiyotaka, the helmet in the duffel bag on his shoulder.

\--------------------------------------

**Mondo:** here, come out.

\--------------------------------------

Mondo rested his head on the handlebars, not getting a response from Taka as soon as he had thought he would. A minute went by, then five. Mondo really didn't know why Taka didn't respond as soon as possible. It was so unlike him. He pulled his phone out again and texted, more agitated now.

\--------------------------------------

**Mondo:** whats taking u so long?????

\--------------------------------------

Really, what _was_ taking him so long? Sighing, he pulled his motorcycle up to the building and rested it against the building's outside wall before walking in, the doors swinging open. Mondo was about to bust down the tutoring door's entrance, and ran up to it, seeing Taka inside. He was standing, but Mondo slowed, down, seeing that he was idle in conversation.

He peered inside the glass door, and saw his old classmate standing in front of him.

Celestia Ludenberg?!

But something was off...

Why was she _here?_ And why was she _talking to Taka?_ Mondo felt a pang of jealousy deep inside him, but he tried to ignore it and instead focus on the conversation.

The sound was muffled by the thick glass door, so Mondo couldn't hear much. But by looking at the two, something seemed... off.

Celeste was in a huge fit, and she seemed on edge, her finger right in Taka's face, quivering slightly. Her mouth moved in such a way that it was only safe to assume that she was screaming and yelling at him. Mondo now felt anger, wondering why she was in an outburst directed to Taka of all people? He'd never hurt a fly, no way, so why was he getting this treatment?

Taka seemed rigid, and while he showed no sign of emotion, Mondo couldn't help but notice his lip quiver slightly, clearly not enjoying Celeste screaming in his face. His eyes shook slightly, but it looked like whenever Celeste took a moment for air, he responded calmly, keeping his composure. Of course. Taka was never one to yell for any reason.

Mondo couldn't take this anymore, and was just about to walk into the room when Taka noticed him looking at them through the glass door. Taka interrupted Celeste, saying something rather quickly, before hurriedly walking to the door. It seemed like Celeste raised her voice even louder, hands on her hips, pissed the fuck _off._

Mondo felt himself shiver. He'd never seen Celeste act anything like this before, and even though he rarely interacted with her, she didn't seem like the type of person to yell. 

When Taka opened the door, Celeste's screaming could be heard, and it was even louder than Mondo had expected.

"Where the HELL do you think you are GOING? I am NOT FINISHED!" she inhaled deeply again, looking like she was going to start screeching at this point, her accent completely lost. But once she saw Mondo, everything changed rather quickly.

"O-Oh! Mondo! What a surprise. H-Hi!" Celeste waved, still in her yelling state, and her voice sounded rather strange. It cracked when she spoke to him, and she looked... _scared?_ At that moment, she turned and rushed off, holding her dress tightly in her rigid hands.

"The hell just went on back there?" Mondo asked, and saw that Taka had tears pouring out of his eyes. But he tried to keep his voice calm.

"Nothing! Let's just go home," and he rushed past Mondo, fists clutched, slight sobbing noises heard coming from him.

"No, seriously, what the fuck did she do?" Mondo caught up with Taka, outside the building now and next to the motorcycle resting against the building's walls. "You gotta give me something, man. I hate to see you cry. Really." Mondo walked up to Taka, grabbing his wrists, trying to get him to focus. 

"T-Thank you for caring." Taka looked away, trying not to let Mondo see his tears, but they were rather obvious, splashing onto the pavement and his boots. "I... I can't tell you." he shuddered, his shoulders rising up. "I'm so p-pathetic, Mondo, why can't I just have some friends? People who don't treat me badly?"

Mondo felt himself cave in as Taka said that. Was his friendship not enough to him?

"Y-You've got me, y'know."

Taka perked up at that.

"I know, kyoudai. You're my _best_ friend." and Taka slowly put his arms around Mondo's waist, pulling him into an affectionate hug. Mondo's breath hitched, and Taka flushed as he returned the gesture.

"T-Thank you..." Mondo smiled into Taka's ear.

The two of them just hugged underneath the sunset.

Mondo wanted this to last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked writing about Celeste's backstory. I made up that story, but I think it's really interesting. Maybe I'll write a short story that covers up what exactly happened.  
> For now, though, I hope you guys enjoyed!


	7. Worried

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mondo is rather worried about Taka, who won't tell him about what happened at the job yesterday, so he confides in his closet confidant. Namely, Leon Kuwata. But while speaking to him, he lets something slip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going great so far, I think! I really enjoy putting more characters into my stories, and this fic is a great example. Enjoy this chapter!

"You're seriously gonna go back there, dude?"

Mondo questioned Kiyotaka as he walked out his bedroom, already completely dressed and seemingly ready for his job.

"Yeah. I need money, Mondo, and while Celeste can be... unpleasant... The pay is actually very good, and it is enjoyable for me." Taka smiled at Mondo, and it looked like he forgot all about yesterday.

"Taka, she fuckin' made you cry. I don't care how good the pay is, you shouldn't have to work somewhere where you feel uncomfortable." Mondo worried, placing a hand on his shoulder. "At least consider it."

Taka looked at Mondo in the eyes for a split second before darting away, nervously brushing dust off his pants. 

"I already did the paperwork, it would be too much of a bother to quit too early." Taka replied, trying to seem like he was keeping his composure. "I'm fine, Mondo. It would be best if you did forget all about yesterday. It's irrelevant now," and Taka tried to walk to the door, Mondo's hand leaving his shoulder.

That brought a shock to Mondo more than anything. 

"The fuck? You want me to forget about yesterday? B-But... How? Taka, please, what did she say to you? Just tell me." Mondo grabbed Taka's arm and spun him around, and was met with a deathly glare.

"I said. Forget about it." Taka snapped. He jerked his arm away and sharply turned, opening the apartment door and slamming it shut behind him, leaving Mondo in the dust.

Mondo never saw Taka act like this before. When was the last time he saw Taka act like that? He couldn't remember, so he knew that whatever Celeste said to Taka wasn't good in the slightest.

Should he chase after him?

No, Taka didn't seem like listening.

Mondo decided to wait for him to come home, which would be around 3:30 PM. Taka started out on a small schedule and would work only around four hours, because they only needed a part time fill in tutor. But Mondo assumed the pay was pretty good, as Taka snatched up the job the first second he saw it.

\-------------------------------------------------------

**ALERT: 11:37: You have one new message from: Mondo Owada**

**Mondo:** _hey, leon_

**Leon:** _Oh, hi Mondo, what's up man?_

**Mondo:** _dude at this point i don't fucking know, taka's been actin weird all day and idk what to do about it if im being honest_

**Leon:** _What happened? Oh, by the way, how did he recover from that wine? Lmaoooo_

**Mondo:** _shit, can't talk about that_

**Leon:** _What went down ;)_

**Mondo:** _stfu._

**Leon:** _Jeez, sorry. Anyways, what did happen with Taka?_

**Mondo:** _he got a job recently with good pay but celeste works there too and i saw them yelling yesterday and he started crying and it just pissed me off so fucking much, i never was one to like her but goddamn what a bitch_

**Leon:** _Celeste? Celestia Ludenberg? You saw her??_

**Mondo:** _ya and i was really freaked cuz she seemed to be screaming at him and now he won't tell me what she said and he always gets really defensive and upset whenever i ask him_

**Leon:** _That blows_

**Mondo:** _seriously? thats.... all ur gonna say_

**Leon:** _Sorry man but I never had to deal with something like this. Me and my lady Sayaka? No secrets lololololol_

**Mondo:** _gross, dude, at least try to help me??_

**Leon:** _Alright, fine. Could u meet me at that square near the orchard mall? I'll be there in like 15 min_

**Mondo:** _k, cya_

**Leon:** _Bye_

\-------------------------------------------------------

The afternoon sun shone on Mondo, his curly hair down instead of in it's usual pompadour. It was a rather hot day, and even though Mondo wore a tank top and shorts, a considerable amount of sweat still ran down his forehead. He watched the lake in front of him in the middle of the park as he sat on the bench, looking at the ducks swim in the water. Taka would love this.

He really hoped Taka was okay. More than anything, he wanted to know what Celeste told him. It wasn't like Taka at all to not even respond to a single text Mondo left him, but then again, he was at his job. He assumed that he wasn't allowed to use his phone. Mondo just prayed that Celeste calmed down today.

Speaking of, why _was_ Celeste working there? Mondo never spoke to her a lot during their high school years, but he knew that she was the Ultimate Gambler, and amassed a large amount of money. Why would she need to work a desk job at a tutoring center?

The whole situation bewildered Mondo nonetheless, but as he saw Leon walk up to him, waving, he tried to let it dissipate in his memory. 

"Hey, man! Sorry I was a little late, I had to walk past a huge crowd, haha!" Leon grinned, and Mondo remembered that he was, of course, a former popular baseball player and now a famous music artist. He must have struggles even getting to the supermarket.

"Nah, it's fine." Mondo shrugged, and scooted over so Leon could sit down next to him. A flock of birds flew over the lake and startled the ducks, who all swam in opposite directions, water splashing over them. Leon looked at Mondo and smiled.

"Sooooooo, how's it going with Taka?" Leon asked playfully, teasing him slightly. 

"What do you mean by that? I already texted you about it, are you that dense?" Mondo replied rather sharply. He was blunt most of the time, which still startled Leon every now and then. 

Leon shook his head and nervously smiled.

"Well, duh, Celeste is yelling at him at a tutoring gig. I still can't wrap that around my head." Leon scoffed, putting his arms behind the bench.

"What, exactly?"

"Well, the fact that _Celestia Ludenberg_ of all people is working as a receptionist for a tutoring center? Seriously, the hell is that all about?" he scratched the back of his head, clearly confused. "I mean, she's the Ultimate Gambler, right? Really goddamn rich too. Why would she need to work there?"

Mondo sighed.

"I don't fuckin' know, man. Taka wouldn't even tell me, and he wouldn't tell me what she said to him, either. But it wasn't good. I saw her get all up in his face and practically scream. It was crazy, and she seemed to immediately stop once she saw me. I guess she didn't know I would be picking him up." Mondo was lost in thought, hand behind his back, looking off to the side. "I'm just.. worried about him. Seriously."

"Well, obviously, I wouldn't expect anything else." Leon laughed, but Mondo sharply turned his head to look at him in the eyes.

"The hell do you mean by that?" Mondo seemed to take it as an insult, and Leon shifted on the bench as he chuckled slightly.

"Well. You clearly care about him, of course. You're more close to him than anybody I've ever known, apart from my parents, y'know." Leon smiled devillishly. "Probably why you stared at his ass that day."

Mondo spluttered, clearly caught off guard.

"W-What?" he felt a red seep into his face, and his teeth clenched. "You're fucking delusional." Mondo retorted, but Leon just smiled even more.

"Don't be dumb. That day when Taka got drunk as hell off of wine? And he reached for the bottle? Yeah, you looked at his ass, don't deny it." Leon seemed confident when he uttered those words, enjoying how much Mondo stuttered.

"I-I don't, y-you're j-just. Uhm, you know I... I n-never..." Mondo trailed off. 

"Mondo, do you like Taka?" Leon questioned softly, the taunting tone gone from his voice now. "You know, I wouldn't think any less of you if you do. Even if you're gay, you're still my friend."

"The fuck? Of course I don't! I-I'm not gay, where'd you get that idea?" Mondo got overtly defensive, but Leon wouldn't stop prodding him. "I like girls! Guys? W-Well... I mean I don't have a problem with gay people! But I'm not gay!" 

"Bi then?" Leon asked.

"Huh?"

"You like girls and guys. It seems more like you, I agree."

"N-No! I don't like guys at all, Leon, fuck no! A-And I _don't_ like Taka. He's just my friend, yeah, just a friend." Mondo seemed to convince himself when he said that, but Leon just scoffed.

"So friends look at each other's asses?" Leon giggled, and Mondo turned five shades redder.

"I never looked at his... His..." Mondo couldn't bring himself to say the last word, and Leon knew he caught him.

"Just be honest, Mondo. _Do_ you like Taka?" Leon pleaded, to which Mondo this time didn't have a retort.

"I... Uh..." Mondo looked away, scratching his arm. "I don't... well..."

"You don't what?"

"I... I... I don't FUCKING KNOW!" Mondo yelled, a bright blush across his face. The ducks in the lake were startled, flapping their wings and quacking nervously, swimming away from their direction. "I don't know."

Leon smiled softly.

"Just to let you know, I would always support you two. And as far as the Celeste situation goes, please, try to talk to him and get him to listen. In any healthy relationship, communication is key. Talk to him when he gets back and try to calm him down. Let him know you care. I do, as well," those words that Leon spoke were so soft and kind, and Mondo realized he was rather lucky to have somebody who would guide him wherever.

"T-Thanks, man. I guess you're not all an ass, heh." Mondo chuckled, and Leon laughed, standing up.

"Ya know it! I gotta go, me and Sayaka have to meet with our sound mixers. But text me for updates, 'kay?" he held out a thumbs up. "Bye, Mondo!"

"Bye, Leon." Mondo felt more relaxed somehow as Leon waved one last time before running off. He leaned back on the bench, thinking about the conversation.

Wait.

Did he just say he didn't know if he likes Taka?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had to get Mondo to say that. Writing him getting all flustered is so cute! I don't want to be rushing the relationship however, feel free to leave any suggestions below. But I am making them rather lengthy, so I think sprinkling a few extra situations isn't all bad.  
> I am posting chapters like wildfire! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.


	8. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Mondo wants to hear what Celeste said to Taka, he decides to meet her after the tutoring center closes. But what happened next, he never expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has serious angst, like s e r i o u s, it made me pretty sad. But I will work on lightening it up afterwards, so don't worry!

When the apartment door opened, Taka entered, walking in seemingly normal. He spotted Mondo sitting at the kitchen table, head in his hands. He couldn't help but feel remorse for talking to Mondo like that, and he didn't mean to make him feel upset. Taka walked over to Mondo, holding his breath, ready to apologize.

"Listen, Mondo, I-"

He was interrupted by Mondo standing up and roughly grabbing his shoulders, startling him.

"Huh? W-What are you-"

"Listen, Taka, you know that I worry about you. To see you fuckin' cry and then not tell me what's going on the next day? Shit, this just makes me even more nervous. I need to know what's going on. Please just tell me. I want to help you." Mondo rambled on, tightly clutching onto Taka.

Taka's lip quivered, and he shakily looked down, feeling tears pool in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mondo. I-I just... can't," his voice shook as he spoke, clearly distressed. 

"Don't you trust me?" Mondo asked, his voice soft. Taka raised his head, tears falling down his cheeks, and he nodded slightly. "Then why won't you tell me what's wrong? You're my... my friend."

"It's not that I don't trust you Mondo. I-If I tell you, you'll get mad at m-me. You won't want to b-be my friend a-anymore. You'll hate me! I-I just can't! I'm sorry!" Taka started sobbing, burying his hands in his face. "I just can't! Please understand! P-Please!" his voice was shaky, cracking often, and he couldn't stand still anymore.

Mondo felt his stomach drop. He hated seeing Taka like this, hated seeing his best friend so broken and unable to tell even _him._ Whatever happened there was so bad Taka couldn't even tell _Mondo?_ Mondo knew Celeste was up to something, and it wasn't good.

"Taka. I'd never hate you. Please." Mondo was desperate, and he could feel himself quivering. "You're the best thing that's happened to me in such a long time."

Taka looked up again, tears steadily falling. He looked genuinely broken, hurt, upset.

"You'd hate me. I can't," he cried softly, and pulled Mondo's hands off of him. "I can't." Taka walked to his room and shakily opened the door, shutting it behind him, and Mondo could hear sobbing come from the room. He felt tears escape his eyes, but he wiped them away and walked to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Mondo didn't understand. Did he do something? Did Taka do something? Mondo knew for one thing that Celeste did something, and he felt his jaw clench. She looked so... scary in that room. 

Mondo couldn't hit girls. He just couldn't. It went against everything he stood for. He couldn't even do it to Celeste, who he now despised with a passion. 

If he couldn't use force, he'd have to persuade her.

~~~

Mondo practically ran inside the tall building as soon as he exited the cab, throwing open the doors. Mondo couldn't take the motorcycle, he didn't want Taka to know he had gone somewhere. He just hoped that Taka was still in his room. The afternoon sun was shining down on him, but Mondo had no time to admire the weather.

The tutoring center was closing early some days, so Mondo left rather quickly, determined to make it before the doors shut. He noticed Celeste walking out of the tutoring center, locking the door behind her, holding her skirt and getting ready to leave for the day.

"Celeste!"

Celeste sharply turned around, the voice coming off rough and desperate, her face scrunched up. But everything relaxed somewhat as she realized it was Mondo. Then he saw something else he couldn't quite discern. Fear? Anxiety? Whatever it was, it was plastered across her face, but Mondo couldn't care less at the moment.

"Mondo! W-What a lovely surprise. I was just closing up, so I need to go home!" Celeste seemed anxious to get out of the situation and tried to walk past Mondo, but he stood in front of her. He towered over Celeste, and saw her quiver slightly.

"W-What are you doing? Move, please." Celeste spat, getting annoyed now. "I'm serious," and her voice began to rise.

"No. I'm sorry, Celeste, but you did something to Taka yesterday. I won't leave until you tell me what the hell went down there." Mondo snapped, getting visibly agitated. He noticed Celeste swallow, and she perspired slightly, wiping her forehead with her sleeve.

"I did what?" she asked sweetly, holding her hands together, trying to adapt to her accent again. "I don't recall doing anything to Ishimaru, Mondo. So if you have nothing to talk to me about, please, stop wasting my time." it seemed like Celeste was trying to control her voice, which shifted between a sugary accent and a pissed yell.

"I saw you fuckin' yelling at him yesterday. Do you know you made him cry?" Mondo felt his own voice rise, and his face turn red. "Or are you so goddamn oblivious to how awful you really are?"

"Oh, Mondo. Mondo, Mondo, Mondo." Celeste trailed off, looking unbothered now, playing with one of her drills. "You were always one to resolve your problems with violence, no? So I should have seen this coming." she giggled, holding a hand to her lips. "Look how red you're turning! Please, learn to control your temper."

"Shut the hell up and tell me what you said to him!" Mondo now yelled, making Celeste jump. Now Celeste looked seriously annoyed, not liking to be ordered around.

"I won't have myself be controlled by such a buffoon like yourself. Who do you take me for?" she growled, her eyebrows furrowing. "Besides, if Kiyotaka didn't want to be yelled at, he shouldn't have admitted something so... so... DISGUSTING!" Celeste screeched, making Mondo cover his ears.

"D-Disgusting? The hell you talkin' about?" he shouted, and he could feel his hands ball up into fists. 

"Are you deaf or something?" Celeste laughed madly. "I repeat. He told me something disgusting. Something about _you!_ And you are so stupid that you don't even _know_ what I'm referring to? You're the oblivious one here, Owada!" shrieks echoed throughout the building, and Mondo could see Celeste enjoying how caught off guard he was.

"Just tell me, you fuckin' bitch!" Mondo roared, feeling emotions wash over him. Anger, confusion, and... betrayal? What did Taka tell her? Something disgusting? About him? 

"Why should I? You'll find out soon enough, and don't come crying to ME when you realize how pathetic he was all along!" Celeste shrieked, and swiftly ran past him, holding her skirt and hurrying out the door.

Mondo was left there, feeling more confused than when he had arrived. He'd never seen Celeste act like that up close. His stomach swirled as he slowly walked out of the building, thoughts running through his mind.

"The fuck did she mean?" Mondo mumbled to himself, feeling hurt. She wouldn't tell him what Taka said, saying that he would find out 'soon enough'? Was there a side of Taka that Mondo never knew? He was positive he couldn't ever hate Taka no matter what, and he still thinks that. Of course.

But did Taka hate him?

~~~

Mondo shut the apartment door behind him, still trying to take in what just happened, when he saw Taka sitting at the kitchen table. He looked like stone, completely expressionless. Mondo felt himself grow even more tense, and he tried to act normal.

"Hey, Taka-"

"Where were you?" Taka asked quietly, still staring at the table's wooden surface.

"What? Whaddya-"

"You talked to Celeste, didn't you?" Taka's head turned to Mondo, locking eye contact with him. "Didn't you?" and Taka sounded... angry.

"What? N-No I didn't, I just went to-"

"I know you did. Don't bother lying to me." Taka shook, anger overcoming him.

"What... What the... Hell... Were you thinking?" more tears pooled in his eyes as he said the word, and his muscles tensed.

Mondo knew this was bad. Really bad. Taka only cursed when he was extremely angry. Mondo realized he was unwinding.

"The fuck you expect me to do? You can't even tell _me_ what the hell's going on, but you get angry when I tried to find out the truth?" Mondo's voice rose, and he realized he was getting angry at Taka. "You don't believe me for fucks sake and then you go ahead and complain when I'm just caring about you?"

"I... trusted you! And you went behind my back and tried to find out?" Taka cried, breaking down again. "Did she tell you!?"

"What?"

"Answer me! Did she tell you?!" Taka screamed, banging his fist against the table, and Mondo was too pissed to turn back.

"No! She didn't, alright? So you can go ahead and keep more shit from me all you want! I'm done trying to care about you!" Mondo roared. 

"F-Fine! I'll do just that then! Because you don't even want to listen to me!" Taka rose from the chair and stomped to his room, when something ticked inside him.

"What the hell's your fuckin-" Mondo started.

Taka turned around with an expression on his face that made Mondo's stomach lurch.

"SHUT UP, GODDAMMIT!" Taka screeched.

The room grew silent except for Taka's erratic breathing, his face red, tears spilling from his eyes and covering his cheeks, fists clenched, eyes glaring.

"W-What?" Mondo shuddered, all his previous anger draining away and replaced by sadness.

"You would hate me. I told you." Taka snarled, slamming the door behind him.

Mondo felt sick, and a tear ran down his cheek.

"I'm... I'm sorry, kyoudai." Mondo looked down.

Mondo entered his room, shaking as he closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry." Mondo repeated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did Celeste and Taka talk about in the center???  
> I'm sure you all are begging to know, and you will eventually, but for now, just expect the forgiving soon.  
> Comment your feelings about this fic so far down below!


	9. Coming Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mondo feels more angry at Taka then he ever had before, and escalates things a little bit too far. But then Taka reveals something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing to say except...  
> Enjoy  
> (I wrote this on my phone mostly so it might look a little off)

ALERT: **7:28: New message from Leon Kuwata**

 **Leon:** _Hey, Taka! How has it been lately_

 **Kiyotaka:** _Hello, Leon_.

 **Leon:** _Did something happen between u and Mondo? Cuz I talked to him at the park a while ago and he told me something_

 **Kiyotaka:** _Yes, something not very pleasant happened. What did he tell you?_

 **Leon:** _Unless he told you directly idk if I should say u know_

 **Kiyotaka:** _That's fine, I guess._

 **Leon:** _Did u two fight?_

 **Kiyotaka:** _What? What do you mean? Did he tell you?_

 **Leon:** _Na but somethings wrong cuz I texted him like 100 times but he never answered yk_

 **Kiyotaka:** _Oh._

 **Leon:** _But rlly, did u guys fight?_

 **Kiyotaka:** _I guess._

 **Leon:** _wdym_

 **Kiyotaka:** _I don't want to go into a lot of detail, Leon. It would be best if I just was left alone._

 **Leon:** _Then why don't u guys come hang with us?_

 **Kiyotaka:** _Us?_

 **Leon:** _Ya! I got Sayaka here as well as Hina and Makoto! We were gonna go to a carnival but it would be great if u guys came along_

 **Kiyotaka:** _I don't know, Leon. I'd prefer to keep my distance from Mondo. I said something I feel like I can't take back._

 **Leon:** _Then the best way to resolve that is with cotton candy, right???_

 **Kiyotaka:** _Uh, I don't think so._

 **Leon:** _I know last time you listened to me it didnt rlly go well, but we past that right?_

 **Kiyotaka:** _When you peer pressured me to drink wine and caused me to get extremely drunk? I don't think so. Not yet at least._

 **Leon:** _Come onnnnnnnnn, pls!_

 **Kiyotaka:** _Fine. But I don't know if Mondo will want to join us._

 **Leon:** _He will, trust me ololololololo, be there in 10_

 **Kiyotaka:** _See you then._

~~~

The sharp rap on the door made Mondo groan as he slowly sat up from his bed. Yesterday’s activities were still set deep in his mind, and he felt extremely hurt and angry. Taka has never acted like that before. He never yelled like that, never cursed like that. 

Mondo knew he was at fault for this situation. But he couldn’t help but feel sorry for himself. He wanted to help Taka and he responded by yelling at him to shut up? The action still bewildered him.

Opening the door, he grumbled as he saw Taka already talking to somebody. Or was it multiple people? It was. Taka turned around and grew pale as he saw Mondo standing at his bedroom doorway. 

“The hell?” Mondo sighed. 

Taka opened the apartment door wider; and in stepped four people, two of which he hadn’t seen since graduation. 

Leon.

Sayaka.

Hina. 

And Makoto. 

“Oh my god, Mondo, I missed you like crazy!” Hina ran over to Mondo and held him in a tight hug, catching him off guard. But he didn’t return the favor, instead now pissed at Taka, glaring at him. 

“The fuck? You invite people over for the second goddamn time without telling me? What’s your deal, you ass?” Mondo shouted, realizing that he probably took it too far. Hina was startled, pulling away from the hug. 

Taka shook at Mondo’s volume, looking down, trying to stay calm.

“I’m sorry. Leon offered to.”

Mondo grew angrier at that sentence. 

“Leon? The last time you listened you that dweeb you got fuckin’ drunk on the floor! Do you have a brain for fucks sake?” 

“Yikes, man, calm it. We just-“ Leon started, but Mondo had the last straw. 

“Calm... it? Calm it? CALM IT?! You come into my fuckin’ place and tell me to CALM IT?” Mondo got all up in Leon’s face, and Leon did his best to act normal.

”Okay, I’m sorry, but me and Taka had an idea so we-“ Leon tried to speak.

Mondo snapped his head around and looked at Taka, who appeared to be close to crying, quivering slightly, focusing all his attention on the ground. All eyes averted to the two of them.

“Oh, you had an idea, right? You go ahead and tell me to ‘shut up, goddamnit’ yesterday, then expect me to go through with this fuckin’ bullshit of yours? The hell?” Mondo stomped up to him and felt his anger level rise. “You’ve got some fuckin’ nerve you little-“ 

“STOP!” 

Makoto walked in front of Mondo and looked nervous, but he didn’t back down.

”Look, it’s obvious everyone’s angry at each other, but please just don’t give Taka all of this. I’m sure he feels sorry for what could have happened yesterday. He won’t invite anyone over without your consent again okay?” Makoto turned to Taka, who nodded softly, tears pooling in his red eyes. 

“So there’s no need for all of this. Why don’t we all just try to have a good time, and you two could work it out from there?” Makoto reasoned to Mondo, who looked like he was about to explode. 

“You walk into my house and make me agree?” Mondo laughed angrily, his fists clenching. “Great, fuckin’ a, man. I have half a mind to-“

”It’s an apartment.” 

Everyone focused back on Taka, who spoke those three words. 

“The hell you say to me?” 

“It’s an apartment, you d-dumbass!” Taka screamed, and the whole room seemed to be sucked out of air. This was the second day in a row where Taka cursed? 

“Oh, now you’re gonna fuckin’ get it!” Mondo opened his mouth wider. “Listen here-“

”No, YOU LISTEN. You’ve always been on me since yesterday trying to understand what Celeste and I spoke about, when I told you you’d hate me if I admitted it. I thought you respected my wishes, but you decided to go behind my back and find out. Do you even realize how that makes me feel? To think I trusted you, and you turn around and ignore me? And then you’re the one to get angry with me while I only cursed at you because I cried twice from not wanting to tell you?” Taka cried, tears falling down his cheeks again.

Mondo fell silent, realizing that Taka, like always, was right. 

“Taka, you know I-“ 

“Just forget this. Let’s go already.” Taka seemed to regain a little bit of his composure, and walked past everyone else, the first one out the door. 

Now that Taka left, everyone silently stared at Mondo, who felt like a total ass all of a sudden. 

“I.. I just..” Mondo stuttered, looking down at the floor. 

“You really hurt his feelings, Mondo. Please understand the gravity of your words next time.” Sayaka said coldly, and grabbed Leon’s hand, walking out of the apartment with him. 

Now it was Mondo, Makoto, and Hina.

”Let’s just try to forget this, o-okay?” Hina nervously smiled before dashing out of the room.

Mondo and Makoto. 

“Makoto, I-“ 

“Seeing you like that wasn’t a surprise,” and Makoto walked out of the room. “Come if you want.”

Mondo stood alone in the apartment, unable to take the entire situation in. Groaning in agony, he decided to join the others, hastily putting on his jacket, grabbing his keys, and shutting the door behind him.

He followed Makoto, and everyone else was waiting at the end of the hall, the elevator rising up. 

That elevator ride made Mondo want to blow his brains out. It was ear piercingly silent, and he couldn’t help but sneak glances at Taka all the way on the other side of the elevator, sniffling, Hina rubbing his back and comforting him. 

When the elevator landed at the lobby, Hina was one of the first ones out.

“The carnival is only a few blocks away, come on.” Hina smiled, and grabbed Taka’s hand, pulling him out of the elevator.

They walked hand in hand out of the apartment complex, and this made Mondo rather jealous. Taka seemed to smile, and they resumed conversation like nothing had happened earlier.

What was the matter with him? He decided to be a huge jackass to his friend and then get jealous when someone tried to care for him? 

Mondo walked out of the elevator, realizing how unkempt his hair was, but he didn’t care. He wanted to make things up to Taka as soon as he could. 

~~~

“Let’s fucking go!” Leon laughed as he hit the tenth target in the row on the wall, the stand worker rather surprised. But Mondo wasn’t. Despite not doing baseball as much anymore, Leon still was just as good as he was before. 

“Watch your language, sir,” the worker smiled slightly as they pulled out the grand prize for him, which was a massive teddy bear. 

Leon frowned slightly, the prize not interesting him. But he smirked all of a sudden and turned around to Sayaka, who was smiling brightly. He handed it to her, grinning as he did so, earning a blush from her. 

“Thank you!” Sayaka happily hugged the bear, and Hina and Makoto cheered for the two of them as they kissed lightly. 

Meanwhile, Taka leaned against a stand not in use, looking down at the ground. Mondo wanted to come up to him, but Hina apparently got the idea first. 

She glared at him as she walked past him, and Taka brightened as he saw her come his way. They cheerfully made conversation, leaving Mondo alone again. 

This entire day had been torture for Mondo so far. Every time he wanted to talk to Taka, someone else intervened, and every time he called his name, Taka ignored him.

The rest of the group had been having fun for hours since they got there, seemingly forgetting about the situation. 

Leon had used his baseball skills to win tons of prizes, and had given most of them to Sayaka, while Makoto and Hina and Taka got some too. But despite everything he won, he never gave one to Mondo. 

Mondo regretted coming here in the first place. He could’ve been at home sleeping in, but instead he decided to get left out for the entire day. Everyone was against him, though they had a fair reason to be. 

Sayaka, clutching the teddy bear, pointed to the large ferris wheel towering over them. 

“Let’s go there! Come on!” she exclaimed happily, and ran over there, Leon and Makoto behind her. Hina and Taka got up and were holding hands again, running after them as well, and that just made Mondo feel even sicker. 

He didn’t want to be stuck in a small box with nobody talking to him, but he didn’t want to stand like a loser by himself, so he slowly followed the rest of the group. 

They lined up, the ferris wheel line surprisingly long. The first compartment opened up when Sayaka, who was at the front of the line, stood. Makoto, Leon, Hina, and Sayaka all walked into the compartment, the max seating being four. Hina seemed sad as she let go of Taka’s hand, joining the three. 

The door closed and everyone appeared to be waving, but only to Taka. Mondo, once again, was left in the dust. 

They slowly rose up, and the next available compartment came down and opened. 

“Please, get on and don’t hold up the line,” the ferris wheel operator sighed, tiredly waving her hand. 

“Wait, can only one person get on one?” Taka asked nervously, fully aware that Mondo heard him. 

“Sorry, no can do. The minimum is two. Don’t want to waste any compartments. Please get on there with the person behind you,” she gestured to Mondo, his eyes widening. Maybe this could be his chance to finally talk to Taka one on one?

Taka grumbled and swiftly walked past Mondo, hurriedly stepping into the compartment. Mondo looked off to the side and entered as well, Taka distancing himself.

The door closed almost immediately, leaving the two of them closed off from everybody else. Mondo could feel them rising as he sat down on the opposite side, looking at Taka. 

Taka was pressed into the corner the farthest away from Mondo, staring blankly out the window. Mondo wanted to say something, and so he did, blurting it out. 

“Taka, I really am sorry for that,” he started, realizing how much of a dope he really was. 

Taka ignored him, acting like nobody was in there with him. 

“I didn’t have a right to be upset at you. You were right. I overstepped the boundaries and I didn’t listen, and I hurt you. I had no right to get as angry as I did today, I was a dumbass.” Mondo pleaded, staring at the back of Taka’s head. 

“You were.” Taka replied coldly, the only thing he said. Mondo continued, slightly hurt, but determined to not be an ass any longer. 

“I was, and I really am sorry, you know? God, I’m so fucking sorry Taka! I went ahead and did all that stupid shit and then I made you cry again. I’m such a piece of shit, I’m so fucking stupid. I just wanted to know, I didn’t mean any harm at first, but I didn’t listen to you.” Mondo cried out, feeling himself shiver. “You have every right to be upset. I understand if you don’t want to be my friend anymore. But please know that I never meant to hurt you, I was so far out of control.”

The compartment was silent, and Taka remained silent, though Mondo noticed his expression changed. He seemed more concentrated, and Mondo hoped he listened to him. 

“Sorry for making you hear my dumbass.” Mondo sighed, turning to look out of the window to his right. 

Mondo thought Taka wasn’t going to answer again, until he heard his voice. It was rather shaky, but confident slightly.

”I guess I should tell you what me and Celeste talked about.” 

“W-What? No, you don’t have to, trust me. I don’t want to force you anymore.” Mondo said, looking at Taka, whose eyes had left the glass and were looking at the floor now.

”I’m okay with it. Even if you hate me, you have to know either way.” Taka’s voice shook, and he looked Mondo in the eye, his expression rather firm. 

“I won’t hate you, but, if you really want to tell me, I can’t stop you,” and Mondo shifted so he was in front of Taka, who took a deep breath in. 

“Just.. don’t... freak out, please?” Taka said nervously, looking back down at his hands. 

“I won’t. Promise.” 

“Okay.”

Taka took another shaky breath in, and closed his eyes, preparing himself. 

It was too late to turn back now. 

"Mondo, I'm gay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER BOIZ  
> Sorry if this chapter felt rushed, life kinda messed with me today, but I'm back on track now! I hope you guys still liked it, and I cannot wait for you to find out what Celeste and Taka talked about! Even though Taka came out, not everything has been revealed.


	10. Admitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mondo knew the truth about Taka, and as a result, felt even more strange. Was he in love with him? Or was he just being stupid?  
> Stupid, of course.   
> Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING  
> This chapter will contain brief homophobic language, so feel free to skip the flashback if you're not comfortable with it.

Taka felt tears run down his cheeks, but he wiped his face and felt his face turn red. If Mondo hated him because of it, it was too late to turn back now, as they had already escaped his lips. But Mondo had a different expression on his face, one that Taka couldn't quite make out.

”What?” Mondo questioned softly, his eyes widening. He watched Taka nervously scratch the back of his head, eyes darting everywhere but him.

“I am. So... yeah, that’s what we talked about, I guess.” Taka looked back into Mondo’s eyes. “I hope you don’t hate me. I-I mean, it's not _wrong_ to be gay, why would you hate me, right? B-But I don't-"

Mondo felt himself jump up and pull Taka into a massive hug before he could even realize he had done so, squeezing him tightly. All breath escaped Taka’s lungs, and he couldn't help but feel butterflies in his stomach as Mondo embraced him.

“W-What’s that for?” Taka choked, and Mondo let go of his waist, flushing. 

“You think I’d hate you because of that? No fucking way! You’re still the same Kiyotaka Ishimaru I know and love, that doesn’t change a goddamn thing. And anyone who disagrees can taste my fists.” Mondo’s laugh made Taka feel so happy, so accepted, so loved. After what Celeste said to him, Taka was sure that he would be hated by Mondo forever. But he was so excited to realize that she was wrong.

"You r-really mean it?" Taka stuttered, looking Mondo right in the eyes, feeling his body warm up. "You're n-not lying, right?"

Mondo seemed offended at those words, and shook his head vigorously. 

"Of course not. Whoever you love shouldn't concern me." Mondo grinned, no longer in agony. No longer in desperation. Because he finally saw Taka for everything he was, an amazing friend. "I should stop asking questions, but, what exactly did Celeste say?" Mondo hoped he didn't say something wrong, because Taka turned pale and looked away, and the air thickened again.

"W-Well... Uh... I'll tell you some. But not everything. At least, not yet." Taka spoke quietly, looking genuinely distraught. Mondo didn't want to make Taka even upset, but he had no time to speak, because Taka began the story of what happened in the tutoring center.

_"Do you even hear how... how idiotic you sound right now? Blabbering about him of all people?" Celeste screamed, catching Taka off guard. He was just talking about somebody he really cared for and admired, why was she acting like this?_

_"W-What do you mean? I didn't say anything wrong, did I?" Taka nervously asked, watching Celeste's face change expressions rapidly._

_"Oh, are you serious? Of course you fucking did, you dumbass! What are you, a fag? It seems like you want this guy to get in your goddamn pants!" her fists shook as her voice was filled with rage and malice, Kiyotaka tense and afraid._

_"W-What? I don't think of him like that! He's just a friend! Why would I-"_

_"You've had your eyes on him ever since you two met, but why would he like you? Why would another MAN like YOU?! To think such despicable things, it sickens me!" her finger was now an inch away from Taka's face, right between his eyes, almost like she was holding a gun._

_"I never- What are you even getting at?" Taka tried to keep his voice steady, but he could feel himself overflowing with emotions._

_"Say you fucking love him, you dumb bitch! SAY IT WITH YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" Celeste was levels of angry for reasons that Taka couldn't understand, her mouth agape as foul language spewed out of her. How did she know all of this? How Taka really felt about him? How could she?  
_

_"I don't-"_

_"ANSWER. MY. FUCKING. QUESTION!"_

_Taka felt himself internally shatter as his wall collapsed, and words spilled out of his mouth like wildfire._

_"Okay! I love him! Is that what you want to hear? Can you please leave me alone?"_

_Celeste, to Taka's surprise, reverted to a strange state. Her face was stone cold, but her eyes lit up with something he couldn't quite discern. Her finger left his face and she put her hand over her mouth. And she began... to giggle._

_It started off soft, then louder, then louder and louder and louder until-_

_"AHAHAHAHAH! YOU WERE A FAGGOT ALL ALONG. AND I KNEW IT! I FUCKING KNEW IT!" Celeste was overcome with anger and rage and happiness and so many emotions, and Taka just couldn't take it anymore. He began to realize that a few tears left his eyes, smattering the ground, and Celeste seemed to kneel over with insanity at this._

_"Go ahead! Go cry, you pathetic worm! Go ahead and cry your useless eyes out! Because he will never. Ever. EVER. Love a useless piece of shit like you!" Celeste grabbed Taka by the collar and lifted him up slightly, and he was shocked by how strong she was._

_"And if you get any ideas to quit this job, no, you don't anymore! Because the paperwork you signed is a special contract I forged! I'm forced to sulk in this pit, and you're a perfect candidate! And don't even think about just not showing up anymore," she spat those words of anger in his ear, snarling._

_"Because I know everything about you. I'm not afraid to hurt him. To get. What I. Want." Celeste dropped Taka, who just stood there, shaking, quivering, as fear entered his brain. Celeste would hurt the man he loved?_

_Him?_

Mondo's eyes were wide open, his mouth agape and he swore he could feel his jaw hit the floor once Taka finished his story. The compartment was silent except for Mondo's voice cracking erratically.

"What? S-She... N-No... To you? I-I..."

And then Taka couldn't believe what happened next.

"I swore I wouldn't hit a woman.. But I.. I just... I'll kill her! I'll fuckin' KILL THAT BITCH!" Mondo swore loudly, his entire body shaking, sweat dripping down his face and anger coursing throughout his veins.

Taka shook his head frantically, trying to calm Mondo down.

"Please, don't! You'll only make things worse. I just need to wait it out. She leaves at December, so I can quit afterwards." Taka desperately tried to reason with Mondo, who felt rage overcome like it never had before.

"I can't! I CAN'T!" Mondo yelled, his eyes tearing up. Taka placed a hand on his chest and nervously pleaded with Mondo.

"Please! Just listen to me! You cannot do anything! Okay? Anything! And that is final." his voice was firm, determined, and as if Mondo was hypnotized, he felt himself slowly calm down.

"Alright. But please. Tell me if she does anything ever again. I care about you, y'know?"

Honey filled Taka up as he blushed, looking off to the side.

"Thank you." Taka shuddered.

And he pulled him into another hug.

The two embraced for what felt like years until they heard the compartment doors open. They broke the hug, and Taka turned to exit the compartment when he heard Mondo ask one last question.

"That man you said you loved... Who was he?"

Taka could feel his heart lurch forward, but he tried to seem calm.

He turned around and smiled softly.

"I'll tell you. Soon enough."

And with that, he turned back around and walked towards Hina, Leon, Sayaka, and Makoto, who had gotten off the ride not too long before they did, and were watching him with bewilderment in their eyes.

Mondo exited the ride, happy that everything was okay again. Then he realized, if Taka was gay, he didn't need to be jealous of Hina anymore, right? He could finally try to get him all to himself!

But, no, he couldn't.

Because Taka was just a friend.

Of course.

~~~

Practically everybody was all over the two of them as they rode back up the elevator, and Hina couldn't stop fangirling over the hug, earning several blushes from the two men.

"Soooooooo, what did you guys do in there?" Leon teased, looking at Mondo knowingly. "That hug seemed kinda... you know..." Sayaka nudged him with the teddy bear, motioning for him to keep his mouth shut.

"W-What? Oh, nothing, we just-" Mondo started, feeling that familiar pink coat his face, but Taka interrupted him.

"Nothing of concern to you." 

The elevator grew quiet with suspicion as the four others gave each other devilish smiles, already reaching their conclusion.

"You sure you two didn't... you know... fu-" Leon giggled childishly.

"Shut your ass up!" Mondo snapped, and Leon just smiled again as words of agreement spread throughout the elevator.

"They totally did."

"No doubt."

"I called it!"

"What position?"

Mondo couldn't wait to get the hell out of there, practically running out of the elevator as Taka chased after him, calling his name.

The four others started up the conversation again as the elevator door closed, positive that they knew what really happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the ending was soooooo much fun! Love to see these two get all flustered <3  
> I really hope you guys are liking this story so far. To be honest I don't know how well I am doing because I haven't written any other fanfiction before, this is my first one. I don't want to rush things, but I don't want to keep the story slow for too long, you know?  
> In any case, I'm just happy people are enjoying my work :) Thank you for reading this chapter!


	11. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanting to connect with Taka after the stressful day, Mondo suggests a movie night, and becomes even closer to Taka in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy  
> some  
> amazing  
> FLUFFFFFFFFFF~

Taka had put himself in his room for most of the day when he returned, attempting to hide his embarrassment from Mondo. He felt like such an... idiot.

He came out to Mondo, maybe that was okay, but he was positive that he would never tell him who he really loved.

That would be the end.

Wrapping himself in the covers, he tried to go to bed. But since it was 7:30 PM, he didn't really have a reason to be tired. He couldn't stop shifting around underneath his blanket, and for once, he felt like all his responsibilities had evaporated.

Taka wondered what it would be like when he returned to work. He planned to just ignore Celeste until then, and maybe if he did just that, she would lay off of him. Taka jolted upwards while deep in thought as he heard the door open, and in walked Mondo.

"Uh, hey." Mondo nervously looked off to the side, trying to propose a plan. "Are ya gonna lie in bed all night?" He asked softly, coming closer to Taka. "I don't feel like being... alone."

Taka lifted an eyebrow. "What are you implying?"

"Well, uh, if you're fine with it, do you wanna maybe watch a movie with me?" Mondo asked, his cheeks pink. "Only if you're alright with it, though." 

Taka thought of the idea, looking down at his fingers, toying with them.

"Well, I guess we... could. But I don't know a lot of movies to watch." Taka spoke quietly, almost like it was a whisper, and Mondo had to strain his ears to get the last few words.

"Great! And to be honest, I don't know a lot of movies either, but maybe we could just guess, right?" Mondo seemed pretty excited, happy that Taka agreed. "I just wanna spend time with you, ya know? Especially because I feel like a huge jackass." 

Taka didn't want to remember the day all over again, he swore his eyes were swollen by how often he'd been crying lately. He supposed the only okay thing to come out of it was the fact that Mondo was accepting, and _didn't hate him._

Well, he hadn't told the entire truth.

"I-I do too, sorry." Taka replied, trying to avoid the awkward conversation that was about to begin. "But, the only TV we have is in your bedroom?" He questioned, remembering that they didn't have enough money for a TV for the rather small living room, so it was barren mostly. 

Mondo flushed unexpectedly and became somewhat disoriented.

"U-Uh, yeah, if you're fine with being in bed with me." Mondo laughed nervously and felt his palms sweat. He realized how stupid this idea sounded all of a sudden.

"You want us to sleep together?" Taka asked rather loudly, not understanding the meaning behind the words he spoke.

Mondo turned even pinker and spluttered. "W-What? I mean, you don't mean it like... like _that,_ do you?" 

_Not that he would mind, per say._

"What do you mean?" Taka was rather oblivious sometimes.

"O-Oh. Oh, not like that? Y-Yeah, that's fine!" Mondo stuttered, waving his hands hectically. "I don't wanna force you, but if you want to, it'd be nice, r-right?"

The room was silent and Mondo could practically taste the tension between the two of them, although he didn't know what type it was.

"Okay. Let's do it. It'll be fun." Taka smiled softly, and rose from his covers, in a pair of rather _tight_ pajamas. Mondo tried his best to keep his eyes at Taka's eye level, and he felt joy rise in his throat.

"Nice! Okay, come." Mondo walked out of Taka's room rather quickly, and had already entered his room before Taka exited his own.

Taka walked into Mondo's room slowly, not expecting this.

The room was rather messy, and Mondo had miniature motorcycle models lined up on his desk, color coded and everything. A Crazy Diamonds poster was above his bed, and a fan was on next to it, blowing cool air right in the bed's direction. The cracked photo that Taka had put in his room some time ago was still there, except it was now lying on Mondo's nightstand. A dresser with drawers randomly opened had the TV on top of it, remote lying on the bed. The dresser was in front of the bed so you could lie down and directly see the TV. Mondo's socks lied all over the floor, and Taka could feel himself cringe internally from how different the room was from his own.

The prefect sighed, and nervously scratched his head.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." Mondo chuckled, hastily picking up socks. "Cleaning kinda sucks."

"I'm used to it, I guess." This room had the same feel as Mondo's old room back at Hopes Peak, except for the TV. Mondo had brought it from his home, so it was the only one in the apartment. Taka didn't have a TV, as he used to be too busy to let himself get bored by entertainment. "Friends first." Mondo gestured to the bed, and Taka gently sat down on it, scooching to the left so Mondo could sit as well. He felt Mondo's arm squeeze his own as Mondo sat down, his large figure almost squishing Taka. 

"Shit, sorry about that too. Maybe you'll be more comfortable if I... uh.." Mondo gulped and put his arm around Taka's neck, earning a startled gasp from him. He felt butterflies rise in his stomach as Mondo pulled him even closer. He wasn't pressed uncomfortably against Mondo's arm anymore, but instead against Mondo's warm body.

"Better?" 

"I-I guess.." Taka couldn't help but enjoy this feeling. It was _nice_ to have Mondo hold him like this, and he felt like they could do it forever.

Mondo grabbed the remote in front of him, and pulled the blanket over the two of them, encasing them in warmth. He looked into Taka's eyes, lavender meeting red, and grinned slightly.

"This is better than being alone."

Taka's abdomen heated up again, and he nuzzled slightly into Mondo's pecs.

"It is."

Mondo felt like all his breath was stolen from him as he turned on the TV, and decided to watch a Disney movie. It was the perfect setting for anything, including one where you were totally platonically cuddling your best friend.

"What are you thinking of?" Taka looked up at Mondo, and at the TV, which was on Disney plus. "You got a subscription?" Taka asked suddenly. "That's not a good use of your mo-"

"I've been reusing the free trial over and over again, heh."

"Oh. Smart."

To hear Taka call _Mondo_ of all people smart made his heart pound faster, and he grunted in response, unable to actually get anything out of his mouth.

Mondo hastily picked the first movie on the home page, which was _Tangled._

"This is a good one." He heard Taka say, and he smiled, happy that Taka enjoyed his movie pick.

"Right? I mean, it's kinda cute, ya know?" Mondo felt himself pull Taka even closer, and he blushed deeply at this sign of affection.

Cute?

"I-I... Yeah."

The movie started, and as the infamous Disney intro played, Taka couldn't help but listen to Mondo's erratic breathing, so similar to how his was for so long.

_Could he feel the same way?_

_No, of course not. Of course! Just friends, nothing else. It's not like now that Mondo knew he was gay, he realized he could actually maybe have a shot at Taka, right?_

Thoughts danced throughout Taka's mind as he watched the movie. Actually, watched is an understatement.

Taka's eyes were glazed over as he stared at the screen, and the sound drowned out, replaced by his now heavy breathing and his heart beating in his chest. All he could concentrate on was Mondo's body heat on him, feeling his pulse echo in his own ears, sparks igniting in his stomach.

Mondo tried to concentrate on the movie, and laughed at some funny parts, but he noticed that Taka was for the most part, completely silent. As the movie reached the halfway mark, screen still blaring, Mondo turned to Taka, expecting him to be awake, but to his surprise, Taka was fast asleep. 

The side of his face was pressed against Mondo's left pectoral muscle, guarded by the flimsy white tank top he was wearing. His arm was still around Taka, and his own hands were gently holding each other, cupped above the blanket. He looked like an angel, his porcelain skin gleaming in the dim light, and Mondo felt the heat form on his face again.

Mondo reached for Taka's hands, grabbing one with his left hand, and he gripped it softly. He shuddered at the feeling of his soft skin pressing against his calloused fingers and palm, and couldn't stop looking from his hands to his face. 

Taka looked so calm, so at peace, and Mondo didn't want to wake him.

_Maybe it's best if I just..._

Mondo gently leaned in and pulled Taka down, realizing that he was already in a deep sleep. His soft black hair grazed against the pillow behind him as Mondo lied him down so he was no longer sitting against the headboard but instead flat on the soft bed.

Mondo did the same to himself, so he was lying down next to Taka. He ran a hand through his messy curls no longer styled and turned himself over to Taka's side, and felt himself hold his breath as he put an arm over Taka's chest, pulling him in closer.

They were practically spooning now, with how close Taka was pressed into Mondo, still sound asleep. Mondo decided to leave the TV on, but lowered the volume slightly before giving all his attention to the sleeping Taka, staring at his rather beautiful face.

_Hold on, the fuck am I thinking?_

_I can't do this, I should-_

Mondo pulled away, and he heard a whine come from Taka, seemingly half asleep and reacting immediately to the loss of warmth and skin.

_Does he want me to?_

Mondo went back into the position, and he could feel Taka nuzzle slightly against him, letting out a happy noise. He wasn't asleep fully, his subconsciousness wanting Mondo even while he was resting.

_If he wants me to, I should..._

Mondo spooned Taka, his breath erratic as his face was buried into the crook of his soft beautiful neck.

_As long as we're friends, I guess it's fine._

And with that, Mondo felt his eyelids flutter, before he succumbed to the deep sleep that would overtake him for the rest of the night, the sound of the movie still in his ears as he sunk into rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE THEM  
> Thank you guys for reading this chapter, I could feel my heart warm as I wrote this :)  
> The moment you all are waiting for will arrive soon, be patient~


	12. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon comes over and gives Taka a rather 'eye opening' lecture about him and Mondo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it was rushed at the end, I'm extremely tired from writing and am currently surviving on two cups of coffee and four hours of sleep :)  
> I've been trying to update as much as I can, so I really hope you guys like this chapter.

The morning sunlight coated Ishimaru and Mondo as they lay next to each other, the TV set to the screensaver as it had been for hours on end. 

Taka's eyes fluttered open, and he mumbled slightly, in a drowsy state. The room around him looked hazy, and he felt something around his waist hug him snugly.

Taka turned his head to the right, eyelids half open, and saw Mondo snoring softly next to him, his arms tight around Taka. He flushed pink as he realized they'd been spooning for the entire night, and the last thing he remembered was falling asleep while against Mondo's chest.

He felt strangely relaxed, the warm light bathing him and Mondo. Mondo's bleached hair glimmered slightly, and his biceps were wrapped around Taka. 

Mondo looked, well, amazing. Taka felt like he could lie here for hours on end just staring at him. His slightly open lips, the quiet sounds of sleep, and his messy curls resting on top of his head. He looked so different compared to how he was most days.

All the memories of their fighting and yelling faded away, nothing could stop this wonderful sensation of the two of them cuddling together. 

Taka was locked in Mondo's grip, and he felt thirsty all of a sudden. He wanted to stay here for the rest of his life, but while in Mondo's death grip, it was kind of hard.

Mondo's breathing grew steadier, and he let out a series of soft grunts as his eyes opened slowly. He noticed Taka was looking at him, red on lavender, and he blushed, speaking softly.

"Good morning." Mondo smiled, his heart skipping a beat as Taka smiled back, feeling his body heat radiate off of him. 

"Hello, Mondo. I'm sorry I couldn't watch the entire movie, I got tired rather quickly."

"Oh, it's fine. I wasn't paying a lot of attention anyways."

"What were you paying attention to?"

Mondo's breath hitched, realizing that he was paying attention to Taka all night, and was the reason why they were in this position to begin with.

He was still cuddling Taka.

" _Shit!"_ Mondo exclaimed, quickly pulling his arms off of Taka. 

Taka seemed startled and a hint of sadness was in his eyes, upset at being let go of that quickly.

"S-Sorry man, I don't want you to get the wrong idea or anything, y-ya know?" Mondo stuttered, not wanting to make Taka uncomfortable. He loved holding him that night, but if Taka didn't like it, he would stop. They were friends anyway, they should listen to each other.

Taka sniffled lightly.

He hurt Taka's feelings.

_You big dope._

"I didn't get the wrong idea about anything." Taka replied coldly, and sat up from the bed, all of a sudden wanting to leave the room. "Sorry."

"Wait, I didn't mean to be rude or anything, Kiyo. I just-"

"It's fine. We're just friends. Nothing more." Taka tried to smile, but deep down he felt hurt yet again.

That night, the two of them really connected. That night, Taka felt like he was invincible, like he could never be harmed. He just wanted to be held by Mondo until the world ended. And when he woke up, happiness was spreading throughout him, and he couldn't believe it, that Mondo really was still holding him.

But they were only friends. Mondo didn't want to hold him. He probably felt forced. Taka could sense tears beginning to pool, but he blinked them away.

Not the time to get upset. He reacted like anybody would. He wouldn't want to hug his best friend, especially because he _wasn't gay._ Taka almost certainly knew that. He only asked out girls, and while he yelled and scared them away, they were still girls.

His heart ached as he exited the room, Mondo lying in the bed dazed.

He groaned as he leaned his head back, banging it into the headboard.

"Fuck!"

Rubbing the back of his head, he slowly sat up, Taka already out the door and in the kitchen. Mondo liked being with him, he really did. He felt more safe that day than he ever had in his life, but the realization kicked in and hit him like a bag of bricks. Taka probably didn't like him, the reason why he retracted like that.

Was he too harsh?

Mondo questioned himself, hugging his knees, the sunlight warming the blanket.

Maybe Taka really did feel that way, right? After all, he didn't seem upset when Mondo woke up, and looked relaxed as well. He had half a mind to kis-

"Knock it off, dammit." Mondo pulled his own hair, grunting in desperation. Taka didn't like him. He was just imagining things.

As nice as it would have been to have his feelings replicated by his best friend, he knew he couldn't. He really knew it wasn't going to happen.

He was reaching for the stars, and they wouldn't ever fit in his hand.

~~~

Ishimaru swirled the tea around in his cup with a small spoon, resting his chin on his fist.

He supposed he shouldn't have been upset. He liked how the night went yesterday, but if Mondo really reacted like _that,_ maybe he let things go too far in his mind.

But he didn't, right? After all, he really enjoyed the night. Mondo must have at least liked a little bit, because when Taka nuzzled him, he didn't object. And he was the one that suggested everything in the first place. The one that put his arm around Taka.

Was he just doing all of this to toy with Taka's feelings? To make fun of him for coming out as gay?

No, he would have never done that. Mondo could appear to be a rude person, but once Taka actually got to know him, he was much different on the inside.

Still, maybe he did get the wrong message. Friends _could_ cuddle together too, of course. It happened probably more often than Taka had expected. So was the night platonic?

It had to be, no other explanation.

Taka noticed that Mondo's door closed again, and a slight shiver ran down his spine. It felt like the root of fear. Mondo wouldn't even come out of his room?

Was Taka really that bad at company?

Whatever, he couldn't go another minute without somebody to talk to. Ever since slowing down his studies and the incident with Celeste, he's had almost nothing to do. But if he wanted to invite somebody over, he had to ask permission.

Leon seemed like a good candidate.

Sure, he caused him to get basically blackout drunk, but it all panned out fine afterwards. 

Taka walked up to Mondo's door and was going to open it, but the doorknob was locked. 

His stomach dropped even further.

"Uh, Mondo, I don't know if you want to talk to me right now, but could Leon come over? You don't need to join us or anything but I need someone else to talk to if you won't." His voice cracked slightly at the end, and all his happiness had officially dampened.

No response.

Taka put his ear closer to the door and heard noises coming from there that he couldn't quite make out, so he sharply knocked again. A loud breath was heard and then a... zipping?

Mondo hastily opened the door, his face sweaty, blush all over him, and he looked Taka in the eyes.

"Uh, yeah, go a-ahead. Just, don't come in here, kay?" And then Mondo closed the door again, and soon enough, similar noises could be heard coming from the room again.

What was he _doing_ in there?

"Okay." Taka said rather loudly, trying to make sure Mondo could hear him. But once again, no response. He tried to not be to affected, but it ate away at his brain. He hoped Mondo wasn't angry or anything. However, snce he said yes, Taka decided to invite Leon over, giving him a call this time.

He picked up surprisingly quickly, and Taka could hear several voices in the background.

"Hey Taka! What's up?"

"Uh, hello Leon. Look, I'm kind of bored today, so I was wondering if you could come over? We could talk, just the two of us."

"Oh, that sounds great man! I'm actually at a rehearsal right now, but if you could gimme like half an hour I'd so totally come!"

"Really? Nice!" Taka didn't try to hide his excitement. "Okay, I'll see you then!"

"Bye! Oh, by the way, what _did_ you and Mondo do in that ferris whe-"

Taka hung up the phone.

~~~

About thirty minutes later, as expected, a knock was heard at the apartment door. Taka rushed over and looked through the peephole, and it was indeed Leon.

Mondo _still_ hadn't left his room, and every time Taka knocked, all he got back were exasperated groans or just nothing at all, small noises continuing to come from behind the door.

Taka tried to brush it off, opening the door widely, a big grin on his face.

"Leon!" 

Taka practically jumped into him, so happy to see somebody that actually wanted to see him as well. Leon was startled and slightly hugged back before pulling away.

"Calm down, Taka, you're gonna crush me one day, I swear!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me. Please, come in." And Taka regained his formality almost instantly, stepping to the side and letting Leon in the apartment.

"So, Mondo _does_ know I'm here, right?" Leon asked nervously, laughing slightly. "I mean, I don't want another incident like yesterday, ya know?"

"Oh, he does, don't worry."

"Really? Is he here?"

"No, actually. He's been in his room all day, and after we slept together, he wouldn't let me back in the room." Taka spoke matter of factly, not realizing what he was saying.

Leon choked on his own saliva as he turned back around to look at Taka, his face unusually red, eyes the size of dinner plates.

"Hold on, you _what?"_

"We slept together. But it wasn't romantic or anything, don't get the wrong idea, we just watched a movie together and then fell asleep. And ever since then, he won't even try to talk to me. I only hear weird noises coming from his room now, but he won't even answer me."

Leon tried to take all of this in, but he relaxed considerably, shoulders lowering slightly.

"So you don't mean slept together as you two fucked?"

Taka felt himself redden, all of a sudden stuttering.

"W-What? Where did you even get that idea? What's so bad about two friends sleeping together, Leon?" Taka sounded rather defensive, and Leon sighed, seeing that Taka was somewhat oblivious to his own speaking pattern.

"Nevermind." Leon didn't want to touch on the matter any further, but as he sat down on the kitchen table, he jumped again.

"Hold on, so you two slept in the same bed together yesterday? Is it because of what happened on the ferris wheel?" Leon slyly grinned, watching Taka get nervous all over again.

"Y-Yes, but we didn't do anything s-sexual! We just... talked. And we resolved everything. But we didn't do anything remotely inappropriate, you need to trust me!"

"Sureeeeeeee.." Leon was rather skeptical, still smiling slightly.

"It's not funny, Leon, we didn't." Taka's voice became stone cold and he looked rather serious, almost like he just wanted Leon to drop the subject entirely. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up at all." He sat down rigidly, examining the palms of his light hands, the untouched tea from earlier still in front of him, now lukewarm.

"Okay, I'll believe you. But could you at least tell me what really happened there? And why did you guys... uhm... sleep together?" Leon could barely get out that last sentence without snickering, still taking the words the wrong way.

Taka inhaled deeply, wondering if he was ready to confess to the second person about his sexuality.

"I could, but you'd probably hate me."

"What? No fuckin' way, dude! I could never hate you, you're a great friend!"

"You say that now, but, I don't know."

"Did you kill someone?"

"What? Where are you going with this-"

"Did you rob a bank?"

"No! Are you-"

"Then I've got no reason to hate ya. Tell me."

Taka originally wouldn't have told Leon at all, due to the fact that he didn't know what Mondo had said earlier. But now that Taka knew that Mondo accepted him, he felt more comfortable.

"Fine."

Leon leaned in slightly, paying more attention than Taka had ever seen him paying to anything in his entire existence. Seriously, he was more focused than during actual tests when he still attended Hopes Peak with Kiyotaka.

"I'm gay."

"Oh."

Taka flinched slightly. "What do you mean, oh? You don't hate me or anything, r-right?" Taka could sense the tears already forming in his eyes, getting ready to bawl his brains out, when Leon objected harshly.

"What? No! I don't! It just... wasn't a surprise. Not just to me."

"W-What!?" Taka cried out, wondering why Leon said those oddly formatted words.

"I kinda expected you to be, you know?"

"Eh? What do you mean? I don't think I ever made any outward appearances of being gay, right?"

Leon snorted, about to double up in laughter.

"You've got serious blue balls for Mondo, Taka."

Taka froze, his face flushing a bright pink.

"What?" Taka couldn't even speak now. "I don't! I don't feel anything like that!"

"But Mondo probably does."

"WHAT!?"

" _Anyways,_ you really don't know? Almost everyone in our class knows that you two have been basically head over heels for one another ever since you two became friends. And I'm not even trying to make fun of you, seriously."

"I-I don't, you know..."

"Shit, I don't wanna be a relationship counselor or anything, but it's kinda obvious. I mean, you told me you slept in the same bed, and now he's making noises in his room alone and he won't come out? This entire thing sounds like a badly written porno." Leon laughed out loud, seeing how flustered Taka was.

"D-Don't say stuff like that! It's not anything like that at all and you know it."

Leon ignored that sentence, instead laughing even louder.

"In any case, Taka, you two have got it _bad_ for each other, and I totally one hundred percent ship it! Damn, I should get you two in a magazine shoot! I can picture the title right now. _Hot Biker Hunk and Muscular Twi-"_

"Leon, s-stop! I _don't,_ you're blowing this all out of proportion." Taka grew rigid and looked everywhere but into Leon's eyes, feeling himself perspire and his face flush red and pink.

"Ya know what ELSE needs blowing? His-"

"ENOUGH!" Taka slammed down his fists on the table, and that seemed to shut Leon up. For now at least. "I'm not planning on doing anything to Mondo, and that is final."

Leon was now expressionless, but he raised an eyebrow.

"I'll give you all my money if you guys don't end up together within a year. I'm serious!" Leon smiled softly again. "And I don't mind that you're gay. Mondo's bi, and he-"

"Wait, Mondo's what?" Taka questioned suddenly, and he realized he was extremely eager.

"Shit."

As if the gods themselves realized what a situation Leon got himself into, his phone rang.

"Oh, would ya look at that? I'm getting a call! Sorry, Taka, gotta bail!" 

Leon winked before rushing out the door, and he said one last thing before he shut it rather loudly.

"And don't forget about my bet!"


	13. Confessions Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After kicking Taka out, Mondo has the worst dream ever. When he wakes up, Mondo feels a wave of emotions overcome him, and Taka helps him fight them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MEGA  
> A N G S T  
> this kinda made me tear up, I need more emotions between these two goofballs <3  
> there's brief blood mention at the beginning

_Mondo shivered, the breeze overcoming him before he realized what was even happening._

_Everything was coated in snow and fire, the world falling apart before his very eyes. He could sense screams emitting from the distance, and felt the two forces pull him in and shatter him at the same time._

_Heat. And cold._

_Everything inside him was erupting, and he was overwhelmed, kneeling into the snow coated with flames, licking his jacket, his body burning and freezing, his light turning to dark._

_Angst, anxiety, anger, fear, hope, sadness, happiness, despair, desperation._

_It bubbled up inside his stomach and he felt the urge to vomit, gripping onto his hair, pulling it out, screaming loudly, pounding his fists into the ground which fell apart and came back together. Ice scratched his face, fire burned his knees._

_He could feel the blood coming out of his skin, feel himself drain, and he didn't know what to feel anymore except the piercing needles puncturing his chest, staining himself with crimson._

_His hands felt like they were about to be ripped off, and as he laid dying on the ground, he saw Kiyotaka Ishimaru, smiling angelically despite the hell they were in the midst of. Almost like they were fine._

_"I'm your best friend, forever and always, Mondo."_

_He reached for his porcelain face, but it morphed into Makoto._

_Then Leon._

_Then Hina._

_Then Kyoko._

_Then Hifumi._

_Then Daiya._

_Daiya was the only one that spoke._

_"You let me die, Mondo. You let me die, and then you decide to trick your best friend into thinking he loved you. You're the same mistake you have always been, and you're the reason why everything is ending."_

_Daiya brought a hand to his chest and his own blood seeped onto his fingers, the truck's blaring honks in the background now, the flash of the motorcycle lights, and Daiya was gone._

_He didn't return when all his other friends re appeared, one by one, circling Mondo, taunting him, ridiculing him, breaking him down and smashing him to pieces. They started duplicating, the crowd growing even bigger, the voices of disappointment growing even louder._

_All of his friends faces flashed before his eyes, and every time someone reappeared, they seemed to be more bloodied than they had been before. Mondo was forced to watch them all deteriorate and say the exact same thing over and over again, pounding it into his skull, pressing it into his chest, ripping it into his lungs._

_"None of this would have happened if you just stayed in your room."_

_And the world proceeded to end._

Mondo jolted awake, sweat running down his forehead and every other part of his body. He reeked of foolishness and confusion, swearing the world had just fell apart in his hands a few seconds ago.

He looked down at his hands, and realized that they weren't covered in his dark thick blood.

He cleared his throat and realized he didn't vomit up blood just a minute ago.

He looked at his chest and realized that it wasn't ridden with thousands of holes.

But he still felt like it all happened.

Mondo heard his own door knob rattle again, and the voice speak for the millionth time that day.

"Mondo? I know I've been knocking all day, but could you let me in, please?"

The voice had desperation in it, and Mondo felt guilt. He felt awful, thinking he had hurt Taka's feelings despite being the one starting the whole nighttime ordeal.

He tried to ignore it, but the rattling continued and was now accompanied by frantic knocking.

"I need to know if you're alright. You're my friend. I worry about you."

There it was.

_Friend._

That word wouldn't stop prying in his brain, and pained him more each time it was heard. Mondo couldn't stand it, but he realized it was true. He needed to stop acting like he actually liked Taka, because he knew deep down he didn't. Trying to convince himself he did just confused him even more, and it was another unnecessary emotion to add to his already overflowing checklist.

Mondo felt tears roll down his cheek as he squeezed his pillow tightly around his head, trying to drown himself in the soft covers, but he wouldn't stop.

Taka.

Wouldn't.

Stop.

The door felt like it was about to break.

Mondo felt like he was about to break.

Why was he acting like this? So emotional?

He was a fucking gang leader. He wasn't supposed to get emotional. He was supposed to make his enemies cry on their knees and beg for forgiveness, so why the _fuck_ was he all of a sudden bawling like a toddler over his goddamn friend who couldn't stop tugging at his heartstrings?

His brain was about to explode.

Mondo angrily threw the pillow off of his head and jumped off the bed, his barren feet touching the strangely cold wooden floor. And he threw the door open, now pissed at Taka, pissed at himself, pissed at everybody who thinks they stood a chance together.

Because they didn't.

...

His head pounded.

His ears rang.

He felt a hand on his face.

He saw the eyes.

The light.

The hope.

"Mondo? Why are you cryi-"

He took all the air out of Ishimaru's lungs as he lunged forward and pulled him into the tightest embrace ever, feeling the tears fall down his cheeks and on Taka's back, hearing his noisy sobs muffled into the crook of his neck. Taka's neck. The neck he didn't deserve.

That made him feel even more empty inside.

"I don't deserve you, kyoudai."

Despite his frantic cries and the steady stream of tears soaking Taka's clothes, he continued, his voice quivering. But he was determined to not stutter.

"You've always cared for me. So fucking much. And now here I am, being an asshole to you, shutting you out even though I was the one who wanted you to come to me. I can't have someone this nice, this smart, this kind. I mean, for fucks sake, you're the Ultimate Moral Compass. You're somebody who needs a friend who actually feels the same way, because I don't know what I fucking feel anymore!"

He couldn't control his voice steadily rising, cracking along the way, and he felt himself tear at the seams, already loose, so thin from every other part of his life.

"I let my fucking brother die, I'm a gang leader, I'm an asshole, I'm unstable, I'm violent, I-I... I...."

Taka shook at the words pouring out of his best friends mouth, and felt his own tears start to form in his eyes. Why was Mondo acting like this? Ever since they moved in together, his previously strong persona had vanished and was replaced with someone who crumbled at the lightest touch.

His vision blurred as he felt his hands, shaking, rise slowly and pull Mondo away from his shoulder. Kiyotaka stared into the eyes of his best friend, the person he felt so close to, so comforted by, and he decided to tell Mondo.

"You make me so happy."

"W-What?" Mondo shook, looking back into Taka's ruby red irises, feeling like he could just disappear in them forever.

"I was the one who suggested we move in. Ever since my grandfather messed up my family's name, I was always shut out by society and my own family, who hated that I seemed to follow in his footsteps. But you're the only one who cared about me every time I broke down, every time I cried, every time I was in pain and anger and guilt. You helped me open my eyes, and I feel like you're the only one I want to be with for the rest of my entire life."

Mondo felt lost for words. Taka... really meant it? He was so heartfelt, so honest, and that just made Mondo want to break down even further, so blinded by negativity.

"Mondo. If anything, I don't deserve you." 

And Taka leaned in.

Close.

Closer.

Even closer.

And pulled Mondo into a warm hug, wrapping him around his muscled arms, lifting him slightly. Mondo sometimes forgot how strong Ishimaru really was.

"You are my best friend. Don't ever forget that."

Mondo felt half conscious, his eyes fluttering. He looked up from where he was buried in Taka's neck for the second time and felt himself be lowered by him.

"Could you sleep with me tonight?"

Mondo realized how wimpy he sounded. His voice shook and it seemed to have risen a few octaves, accompanied by sniffling and whining.

"Of course."

And it was Taka's turn to care for Mondo.

He gently lifted him, surprised by his own strength, and slowly but surely carried Mondo to his bed, the sheets mussed and disoriented.

Taka placed him on the bed, and went to go turn off the lights and shut the door, returning and pulling him and Mondo underneath the all of a sudden warm covers. The familiar feeling of Mondo's body heat radiating off of him and hitting Taka made him flush slightly, but he hid his expression by pulling Mondo in.

Mondo sniveled, in such happiness now, in such an amazing world. The sobs still echoed slightly in his chest, feeling like he had been trapped at the bottom of an ocean for such a long time. 

Taka combed his bleached curls in his hands, closing his eyes and listening to Mondo softly sob, holding his head in his hands.

Mondo could finally let his guard down around Taka.

"Thank you, _kyoudai."_

The last word was uttered with such care and empathy, and Mondo snuggled into Taka's front, feeling his eyelids flutter.

"You're welcome, _kyoudai."_

His best friend whispered lovingly, the room filling with quiet mutterings.

And the familiar feeling of sleep finally overtook Mondo and Kiyotaka, relaxing into each other's bodies, Mondo's curls still in Taka's fingers, his tears still in the crook of his clothes, his scent still on him.

What an amazing friend.

Mondo was glad he didn't stay in his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not crying, you're crying.  
> Comment your thoughts about this story so far please! I will be updating less probably so I can try to plan out the direction this will go in, but I don't want to drag things out too long.  
> Thank you for sticking around so far!


	14. The Motorcycle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Taka wakes up, he tries to change his clothes but instead gets coffee spilled on him. So, he and Mondo do the only logical thing. Hold on to each other as they drive to the laundromat.  
> Best thing to do with your friend.

Taka's eyelids slowly opened, the familar sensation of sunlight spreading around his body, warmth coating his face.

"Mondo?"

Taka spoke drowsily, still half asleep. His arms absentmindedly spread over the covers to his left, trying to feel the warmth and flesh of the man that he fell asleep with yesterday. He loved caring for him, picking him up, caressing him.

He wanted to hug him again, but instead of his hand touching skin, it touched the end of the bed. 

"Hm?"

Taka slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, seeing that Mondo wasn't there anymore. He felt a pang inside of him as he slowly awoke and came to his senses.

The covers had been pulled all the way to the edge of the bed and were fluffed up at the ends, confusing Taka. Had Mondo ripped the covers off them?

He looked down and realized he was in his dress outfit he wore the entire day, wiping everything else from his mind.

Even though he held off of wearing his uniform for the summer, he still tried to dress modestly, which for him was dressing up in an entire formal outfit. A dress shirt with golden buttons, a thin undershirt, and black dress pants. Were his socks on?

They were.

_He slept in his entire outfit!_

Taka sped out of bed, forgetting where Mondo could possibly be, and instead opened the door as wide as he could to go fix up his outfit, which had wrinkled considerably. All that time to think and he never even _considered_ changing? 

But when he opened the door, the knob hit the wall loudly and Taka hoped to god he didn't leave a hole in the plaster. They were already struggling making rent, and that would not help them in the slightest.

Rushing out of the room, already unbuttoning his shirt, he bumped into Mondo, and what happened was basically straight out of a teen movie.

Mondo was walking back to the room to wake Taka when he ran out of the room, slamming into his side, and causing his coffee to spill out of his mug.

"Shit!"

Coffee splattered onto Taka's white wrinkled clothes, and he ceased everything he was going to do, looking down at his brown stained clothing.

"Oh, god!"

Kiyotaka practically yelled that word, devastated that his nice previously pristine white clothing had turned into a coffee stained mess. He ran again past Mondo to the kitchen and grabbed a set of paper towels, soaking them in water before trying to wipe the stain out of the fabric.

"I'm sorry Taka! You just ran into me and I was going to go wake you up and- Oh. Oh, shit." Mondo noticed just how damaged the clothing was, and felt bad for Taka as he frantically wiped the paper towels on his shirt and pants, in clear distress.

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have ran, and look how I paid the price." Taka grumbled, realizing that the paper towel probably wasn't going to work out in the end.

He slumped against the kitchen counter, lazily throwing the soaked paper towel in the trash can, muttering to himself.

Mondo felt extremely guilty, if only he didn't make that dreaded coffee. Some of it had gotten on his tank top, but he didn't exactly mind, as he just wore them to bed. But he knew Kiyotaka had worn those clothes to bed, so he would have tried to get rid of the wrinkles.

"Okay, we're going to the laundromat." Taka said sternly, continuously pulling his shirt.

"What?" Mondo didn't know much about clothing, but he _knew_ that that shirt was basically done for. 

"This dress shirt is incredibly expensive, Mondo. I'm not letting some coffee ruin its entirety. I need this to wear every day, I'm not going to continue wearing simple clothing. I mean, yes, I have around five sets of this outfit. But, I cannot let this one in particular get destroyed this fast."

Mondo couldn't even speak, remembering just how stubborn Taka could be when he wanted something.

"Okay, well, have fun, I guess. I gotta go back out to the gang later anyways."

"You will drive me, Mondo."

Mondo choked on his half empty cup of coffee, seeming intent on finishing it. Taka wanted to ride on Mondo's motorcycle? The same one that he all those previous times had said was too dangerous?

"W-What? Uh," Mondo took a second to clear his throat as he swore some coffee went up his nose before continuing. "You want to ride on my motorcycle?"

"Well, if it is the only way to get to the laundromat, yes."

"But why? Don't you have money for a taxi or anything?"

Taka looked sternly at Mondo, wondering why he was skeptical on the subject of Taka and Mondo riding together.

"Why are you so concerned about this, Mondo? And no, I don't have money for a taxi. Well, I do, but it would be a waste as of right now." 

It's not that Mondo didn't _want_ Taka to ride with him, he just blushed at the fact that Taka would have to hold onto his waist for the entire period of the ride. 

"Well, if you need to, fine." Mondo gulped slightly at the thought of Taka holding onto him even more, the last two nights giving him his fair share of affection.

"But I need a helmet." Taka replied, and he began taking off his clothes right there in the kitchen.

Mondo choked on his coffee for the _second time_ as he saw Taka undressing in front of his eyes, and he hesitantly looked away from Taka's curves as he took off his dress shirt.

"Why are you acting like that, Mondo?"

Mondo turned back to Taka and saw that he _wasn't_ getting naked in front of him, just taking off his dress shirt and his undershirt. The coffee wasn't visible on Taka's pants, so he supposed there was no reason to clean those too.

"Yer gettin' undressed in the kitchen." Mondo mumbled, and Taka flushed as his chest was now bare, holding his stained dress shirt and undershirt in his hands, brown and white.

"I need to get these off somehow, Mondo. Don't be ridiculous. And I need to borrow a shirt." 

Mondo choked on his coffee for the _third time in a row._ He stopped trying to drink the liquid, now convinced it was cursed or something.

"Why's that?" Mondo looked at Taka, and couldn't help but let his eyes venture across his body, taking in everything.

Taka was muscled as well, and was quite strong, his face coated with a light layer of pink as he clutched the clothing in his smooth hands, different from the rest of his physique. Even though he wasn't as big as Mondo, he was still decently sized, and there was something about his body that drove Mondo slightly crazy. He felt like he could just stare at him until the world ended.

As he looked further down, Taka's waist curved in, and his hips were prominent in his pants, which were considerably tight in that area. Mondo quickly looked away, scratching the back of his head, saddened that he stopped looking at Taka's delicious curv-

"If you finished being silent all of a sudden, I need to borrow a shirt. I don't exactly want to risk ruining more of my clothes today, as I've never been on a motorcycle before."

"So you're okay with mine being ruined?" Mondo teased, and Taka shook his head quickly, realizing how he sounded.

"No! I'm sorry, not like that, I just-"

"Please, it's okay. Gimme a sec." And with that, Mondo walked back into the room and Taka could hear shuffling in his wardrobe before he returned, holding a black long sleeved shirt, not knowing what Taka would want exactly. The thought of Taka wearing his clothes made Mondo's stomach fill with desperation, but he tried to hide it by turning away as he handed it to Taka's outstretched hands.

"Thank you Mondo." Taka smiled gently before putting the stained clothes on the counter and pulling the black shirt over his head. Mondo couldn't help but flush more at how nice Taka looked.

His muscles didn't show through his shirt as it was a few sizes too big, tucked into his tight pants. The shirt was cutely bagged on his torso, and his black dress pants surprisingly completed the look, his outstretched hips looking amazing on his beautiful body.

Taka smiled again at Mondo, not realizing he was staring at him, and turned around to wash his hands sodden of water and coffee.

Mondo could swear he felt his nose explode, and wondered why he wasn't bleeding as Taka was bent over the sink, giving Mondo a full view of his ass.

His eyes explored every part of him, and he felt lost for words as he wanted to touch it more than anything. It was curved in all the right places, pressing against his pants. Taka's butt literally looked like a masterpiece, and he must've felt Mondo's eyes on him, because he turned around as soon as he shut off the water.

Mondo turned away, trying to hide the rising problem in his jeans, and was sure it would go away if he just stopped looking at Taka, no matter how nice he looked.

What was Mondo even doing?

_No fuckin' way, I'm not gay. Admiring my best friend's ass, yes, but that's not gay, right?_

He didn't even know what to think anymore as Taka walked up to him again and tapped his shoulder, the voice coming back all too well.

"Do you know where the helmet is?"

"Uh, y-yeah. Check the c-closet." Mondo pointed a shaky finger to the closet next to the apartment door that held the coats and shoes. His face was heating up and wouldn't stop when Taka put a hand to his forehead.

"You're very hot, Mondo." 

Mondo's breath hitched as he felt ten times lighter.

"W-What?"

Taka was naturally oblivious to the meaning behind his words as he continued.

"You're burning up. Are you alright? Perhaps we should get you to a doctor instead."

Of course he meant it that way.

"O-Oh, shit, no I'm alright." Mondo laughed nervously, wiping a hand across his forehead before looking away again. "Just grab the helmet, 'kay? I need to finish getting dressed anyways." Mondo laughed again, confusing Taka even more, walking back into his room and shutting the door loudly.

Taka raised an eyebrow, turning towards the closet, and began searching for the helmet.

He could swear he felt Mondo's eyes on him, but it was probably nothing. Why would Mondo, a guy, be interested in his hips? 

Of course he couldn't.

Taka jumped up and grabbed the helmet, standing on his tippy toes slightly, annoyed that it was so high up. He was 5'9, and was jealous of Mondo's height, him being 6'2. Even though it was five inches more, it really added up for certain situations.

Holding the helmet in his smooth hands, he turned back around to see Mondo already dressed, surprised at how quick it was.

"That was fast." Taka remarked before walking back to the counter and grabbing his clothes. "Could I borrow your duffel bag?" He asked, relieved that Mondo seemed to have calmed down for the most part. But he didn't talk, instead hurriedly nodding before opening the door, not wanting Taka to see his lower half apparently.

Taka hoped he wasn't _that_ annoying.

~~~

When they took the elevator downstairs, Mondo still didn't talk and had his front turned away from Taka, being extremely interested in the buttons along the wall.

Taka didn't talk either, hoping that this anxious tension would eventually go away, and tried to keep up with Mondo as he walked out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened, realizing that he was speedwalking, trying not to run in the halls.

"Mondo, wait!" Taka breathed out, and finally reached Mondo before the complex's doors opened, and got him to slow down. "Don't go so fast, you know you're faster than me." He scolded, and Mondo finally responded with one word.

"Sorry."

And they walked to his motorcycle in the apartment lot, tied down to the bars in front of it with a lot of different chains. Taka was rather surprised at how guarded it was.

"Why do you have so many defenses for your motorcycle?"

This got Mondo to speak again, though his voice sounded unnaturally strained.

"O-Oh. This is probably the most expensive thing I've ever had in my life if I'm being honest. Daiya bought it for me." His voice went down slightly. "We don't have a garage, so I can't let anybody else take it. It means everything to me, and the last time someone tried to take it, it didn't end well."

Taka listened to Mondo speak with such passion and conviction, going on and on about how much it meant to him, and he was happy that Mondo regained some composure. He let his eyes adventure over the machinery and looked at the polished gleaming handlebars, the pristine metal, the soft leathery seats slightly worn. It really did look nice, and this was coming from someone who knew almost nothing about motorcycles.

"It's an honor for me to be riding it, then!" Taka beamed at Mondo, and he felt himself smile.

"Really? Thanks, dude, that means a lot. Seriously." 

Things seemed to be back to normal, and Taka had to wait around five minutes so Mondo could fully unlock his motorcycle, using an insane amount of keys and number locks. This was probably the most responsible he's ever been about something.

When Mondo finally unlocked the last padlock, he moved the motorcycle so he could get out of the parking lot easily, and Taka followed him.

Mondo sat on the seat and firmly grasped the handlebars, revving the machine and hearing it come to life.

"She gets the job done." Mondo grinned, and patted on the seat. "Get on here."

Taka swung one leg over the bike and sat down as well, duffel bag in front of him with the stained clothes inside. He took the helmet out of the bag and put it on, making sure it was firm on his head. 

"Why aren't you wearing a helmet, Mondo? It's better to be safe." 

Mondo smiled, it was wholesome almost how little Taka knew about Mondo's motorcycle life. 

"Trust me, I don't need a helmet, I know my way around this thing like the back of my damn hand." Mondo said confidently. But before he started driving, he realized Taka wasn't holding onto him, and he blushed slightly.

"Uh, Taka, you gotta hold onto me, ya know."

"O-Oh." Mondo could sense that Taka flushed, and felt a pair of arms slowly wrap around his waist. "Is that okay?"

Mondo's breath hitched slightly, but he nodded.

"Perfect."

And with that, Mondo revved the motorcycle before everything got into action, driving off with his curls unstyled and flowing behind him, Taka's arms holding onto him rather tightly. 

His embrace made him think of those wonderful nights all over again.

Why couldn't he have dreamt of this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know anything about motorcycles, so please don't be annoyed by my writing of one, I just guessed on how they operate haha!  
> But thank you for reading this chapter, I was in a slight hurry so my apologies if it is rushed.  
> More coming soon, leave thoughts down below! :)


	15. Writing Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Mondo and Taka go to the laundromat, they meet a familiar face. Additionally, Taka gets ideas for a fourth of July party, and prepares the invitations with Mondo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing weed man (Yasuhiro)

Mondo finished chaining up the motorcycle again as Taka impatiently tapped his foot against the pavement, arms crossed.

"We're only going to be there for five minutes, Mondo, you do not need to put that much protection on." Taka scolded. He couldn't believe he was the one telling Mondo to hurry up and not the other way around. He sweated slightly, it being a rather hot afternoon.

"Alright, alright, you know how much it means to me." Mondo stood up and wiped his hands on his pants, only having put half of the chains on the motorcycle which was lodged rather awkwardly into the bike rack. 

The motorcycle ride consisted of a lot of adjusting from Taka's end, due to the fact that he couldn't quite sit properly on the seat, it being too thin for his physique. Which resulted in a lot of awkward conversations as Taka nearly slipped off more times than he could count, and a lot of blushing as Mondo realized the reason why Taka kept slipping off.

Mondo promised he would change the seat, and he had a few replacements in the closet. He hadn't been with the gang as much, feeling more obligated to spend time with Taka. He didn't want Taka to get hurt, but so far, the only thing they could do with the seat issue was have Taka grip onto Mondo extremely tightly.

But Mondo didn't really mind.

As soon as he stood up, Taka turned back around and walked into the laundromat, seeing a man who had his back turned and was working on something. It was eerily silent except for the white noise of the air conditioner, and the floor was extremely clean. Mondo followed him, walking through the door as Taka held it open for him. 

This place wasn't a laundromat where nobody was there, really. They had washing machines to use by yourself, but they also were mixed in with dry cleaners, so you could actually get in person help from others.

Muttering was heard from the man behind the counter, and as Mondo came closer, he recognized the crazy hair. But his suspicions were confirmed when he saw the black jacket.

"Hiro?"

The person jumped and turned around swiftly, and it was infact, Yasuhiro Hagakure. 

"Oh, Mondo!  _ And  _ Taka? Been a while! Nice to see you two again!" Hiro grinned, and he didn't look any different, still the same happy mess Mondo had seen back at Hopes Peak.

"Hello, Hiro. Might I ask why you're working here?" Taka questioned. He hoped it wasn't a Celeste situation all over again. Hiro seemed slightly agitated, but he complied.

"Believe it or not, my grandma owns this place, and I'm waiting on a job from Europe so I need a way to make money currently."

"Oh, that's great! What's the job?" Taka asked, and Hiro lit up at this.

"A psychic in Italy! I actually flew there and basically got it right away, cause you had to talk to the higher ups in person. They're just making some renovations to the place to add my office to the building, but I'll move there in around three months or so."

Taka's eyes widened. Hiro wasn't really the...  _ bright  _ one in their class, but he was very nice and got Taka to cheer up on some gloomy days. Taka didn't believe in all that supernatural stuff, however, so for Hiro to get such a job shocked him.

"Wow! That's amazing, Hiro! I'm really proud of you!" Taka grinned. Mondo did the same, giving him a thumbs up.

"Great, dude! You've got this."

"Awh, you're making me blush!" Hiro laughed. "So, what are you two here for?"

"Oh, I need to get some... stains off my clothes." And Taka took the bag from Mondo's shoulder, laying it on the counter and opening it, pulling out the white and brown dress shirt and undershirt.

Hiro looked rather surprised at the clothes as Taka unruffled them, spreading them out.

"Woah, what happened to this, Taka? Aren't you, like, the most careful one in our class?"

Taka sighed.

"I bumped into Mondo, and he spilled coffee on me. Only good thing that came out of that was that it wasn't burning hot." Taka replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, you two live together, right? Doesn't surprise me." Hiro snickered slightly, and both Taka and Mondo flushed.

"W-What does that mean?"

"Come on, I swear I predicted this! I knew I'd get it right! You two fall in love and move in together and-" Hiro seemed to be rambling on and on and on, laughing as he saw the others grow more embarrassed.

"Just wash the damn clothes, Hiro." Mondo growled, and that got Hiro to back off.

"Alright, alright." Hiro smirked lightly before grabbing the clothes and looking at the stains, cringing as the coffee was still wet. "Yikes, you did a number on these. I'm pretty sure I can get the stains out, but it's not gonna be cheap. I haven't seen this much of a mess ever since my dad burnt down our house!"

The place grew silent.

"Your dad  _ what?"  _ Taka was bewildered. That was a strange statement to come out of Hiro's mouth.

"Nevermind." Hiro brushed it off, and put the clothes on the counter behind him. "So, I can do it, it'll take a while though. You should gimme three days, tops."

"Okay! How much is it?" Taka hoped it wasn't a lot. He didn't receive his first work check yet, and he would get it in a week, so he didn't have much money to spare. 

"Twenty five bucks, they charge an extra fee if there are excessive stains." That was probably the biggest word Taka heard Hiro use, but the more important thing was that he could pay for the clothes, and Taka sighed internally.

"I can do that." And Taka took out his wallet, rummaging around for a little bit before pulling out two tens and a five. They were sort of crumpled, but the good thing was that he did still have some money left over. He put the money on the counter, and Hiro took it and put it in the cash register, printing the receipt and placing it on the counter.

"Great! Thanks, I've got your number so I'll text you when it's ready. It was really nice to see you again, guys." Hiro smiled and waved, before taking the clothing and walking into the back.

"Thank you." Taka answered, taking the receipt and putting it in his pocket. He grabbed the now empty duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder and motioning to Mondo who seemed to be lost in his phone.

Mondo looked up and nodded, opening the door and exiting the laundromat, Taka following.

"Can you believe Hiro got that nice of a job? No offense, but he was kinda as dumb as a bag of bricks, you know?" Mondo felt slightly hypocritical, saying that about Hiro when he didn't care a lot about school, but he wasn't  _ that stupid. _

Taka shook his head and frowned. "I have to admit, I was kind of surprised too. But that's not nice, Mondo, I'm proud of him. He's actually doing better than me." Taka looked down, taking the helmet out of the bag and fastening it on his head.

"Well, you're going back to school, so I'm sure you're going to be prime minister before you know it." Mondo patted him on the back, grinning as he started unchaining the motorcycle, rather eager to get everything off. When he was done, he put the keys in his pocket and rolled the motorcycle out of the driveway before sitting on the seat, Taka behind him and clutching onto his waist for dear life, and Mondo's heart skipped a beat. 

They rode off, and Taka rested his head against the back of Mondo's neck. He swore he could have crashed and not cared as long as Taka held on to him like this.

Maybe going to the laundromat had its perks.

~~~

“Mondo, can you believe it? It’s July! Time really does fly by.” Taka said, looking at the calendar on the fridge and flipping it to the next month over. “Which means that the fourth of July is coming quickly, and we should make preparations.”

“I’m fine with just watching the fireworks, Taka.” Mondo was in the middle of tying his curls into a ponytail, and gave the hair tie one hard tug as it wrapped around his hair. “Someone else will deal with all that fancy shit.”

“Kyoudai, we’ve never helped out with a party. At least, you haven’t, but I am determined to change that for the better.” Taka was stern, and circled the date 07/04 on the calendar. “Think of all the fun we could have with everybody!”

Mondo was never one to prepare celebrations. He liked partying as much as the last gang leader, but when it came to actual responsibilities, he was the first one to back out. But Ishimaru seemed persistent on having a party.

“We can invite all our class members, prepare food, and then we could meet up at the park to watch the fireworks! It’s a fool proof plan, Mondo. You should at least consider it.” Taka really enjoyed preparing festivities for his peers, and roping in his best friend was a key point more times than Mondo could count.

“You really want this party? I mean, I guess I’ll help, but-”

“Really? You’re amazing, kyoudai! This is going to be rather exciting, I should say! We need to make a guest list first, however.” And Taka put a piece of paper on the kitchen table where Mondo was seated, holding a pen in his right hand. “I think it should be a friend gathering, so everybody from our class!”

Taka began writing the guest’s names down in neat slanted handwriting.

_ Toko Fukawa _

_ Makoto Naegi _

_ Komaru Naegi _

_ Kyoko Kirigiri _

_ Byakuya Togami _

_ Yasuhiro Hakagure _

_ Hifumi Yamada _

_ Junko Enoshima _

_ Leon Kuwata _

_ Sayaka Maizono _

_ Aoi Asahina _

_ Sakura Ogami _

_ Chihiro Fujisaki _

_ Muruko Ikusaba _

“And there we have it.” Taka was speedy with his writing, ensuring he didn’t waste any time. “I’ve chosen not to invite Celeste, although the reasoning behind that isn’t unknown.”

Mondo was happy Celeste didn’t come. One less bitch to worry about. The other concern he had however was the fact that Byakuya was coming.

“You’re inviting Byakuya? That prick?” Mondo didn’t really like Byakuya for a lot of varying reasons, and he could list them all. “He’s a snob, he’s a rich boy, he’s stuck up, he’s a  _ bitch boy,  _ he-”

“I understand Byakuya isn’t the most… pleasant… person to be around. But, still, we need to invite him. He’s a classmate, and we consider him a friend.” Taka was trying to be polite, but Mondo knew he couldn’t exactly tolerate Byakuya’s attitude too. “We need to send out letters to everybody, that would be great, don’t you think? Oh my god, we only have three days to plan this! This isn’t-”

“Taka, dude, calm down! If we are gonna have a party, it should be fun, don’t worry too much about the preparations and shit like that. If everyone doesn’t come, I’m fine with that, the less the better.” Mondo enjoyed company with some of his peers, but others he couldn’t stand

“Okay, I guess I shouldn’t be too frantic.” Taka smiled nervously, and went to his room. “I have a box of stationery from Hopes Peak, we will use that to write the letters.” 

While Taka retrieved the envelopes and such from his room, Mondo pondered at the table. He flushed slightly at the thought of writing letters with Taka while right next to him, their hands intertwined, their lips-

_ This isn’t fucking right, I’m such a dumbass. _

He buried his hands in his face, unable to think of Taka in a situation that wasn’t remotely explicit, and looked up as Taka emerged from his room, holding a box with envelopes and paper.

“Let’s get started!” Taka handed a pen to Mondo, and began laying out orders for how they would write the letters. “I will write the invitations, then you will take the papers and put them in the envelopes. But don’t use your saliva, that’s unsanitary. Let me get a cup of water.” Taka frantically stood up again, lost in thought, and grabbed a cup from the cupboard above him before leaning over and filling it with water from the sink.

And there was his ass again. 

Shit.

Mondo didn’t want a crisis like the one that occurred hours prior, so he averted his eyes and tried to think of something besides Taka’s enticing figure practically bent over the sink.

Soon enough, he returned with the water, placing it gently on the table, and he clapped his hands in excitement. 

“Now then, shall we get started?”

~~~

After about an hour of writing, sealing envelopes, and Mondo knocking the cup of water over more than once, Taka finally finished writing the last letter, overlooking his handiwork one last time.

The writing for each letter was practically the same, with the exception of each recipient’s name at the beginning of the neatly written paragraph Taka had came up with. This particular letter was addressed to the last person on their list, Muruko Ikusaba.

_ Dear Muruko Ikusaba, _

_ I hope you are doing well. Me and Mondo Owada are hosting a fourth of July party at our apartment, complete with food, and we are inviting everybody from our class, including you. Thus, we hope you can make it, as we have several plans laid out for the arrangement.  _

_ We look forward to your presence. _

_ Cordially,  _

_ Kiyotaka Ishimaru and Mondo Owada _

Mondo wasn’t surprised at the formality in which Taka had written the letters in, but he enjoyed it. Taka was kinda… cute when he was that polite.

Mondo reached for the letter, and he practically had this in the bag now, sealing the last envelope expertly before putting it on top of the others stacked to their side, the tower of letters teetering.

“Hell yeah!” Mondo felt strangely pumped, filled with adrenaline. Perhaps it was the fact that he was with Taka that made him feel like this, but goddamn if he didn’t enjoy it. 

Taka seemed to have enjoyed the moment as well, and giggled on more than one occasion when Mondo made a rather funny remark about one of the people they were addressing the letters to.

“Byakuya’s gonna get fat soon enough, I fuckin’ know it.”

“Mondo!” Despite his attempt to scold Mondo, even Ishimaru couldn’t suppress a snicker escaping his lips.

“I’m glad this went well! I really liked doing this with you, Mondo!” Taka smiled cheerfully, jumping with joy in his seat. He stood up and admired the letters, all neatly addressed according to the recipient. Mondo was skeptical of his handwriting expertise, but he was surprised at how neat he could actually write, and Taka was as well.

“Same to you, kyoudai.” Mondo didn’t use the word as much as Taka did, but whenever he did, it earned a blush from him, which was enough reasoning for him to continue using it. “You gonna take those to the postal office?”

“I will not for three reasons, Mondo. One, it’s one in the morning.”

“Shit, it is?” Mondo looked up at the clock, and was surprised that it was indeed one in the morning, realizing just how fast time can fly by.

“Yes, it is. Two, we don’t have any stamps on these. Three, it would take too long for them to get there. So, I was wondering if you could maybe, w-well…” Taka’s originally confident train of thought trailed off, and a redness spread across his face as he had to propose an idea Mondo thought wasn’t  _ too  _ suggestive. “Let me ride on your motorcycle with you and drop each letter off?”

Mondo blushed at the thought of Kiyotaka’s arms clutched around his waist, and he didn’t want to change the seat so he could continue to do so.

“O-Oh, yeah, no problem!” Mondo liked the idea himself, and Taka did as well.

“Okay, it is settled. Tomorrow, we should ride at around… ten in the morning, and drop off each letter!” Taka pointed his finger seemingly to no one, and was very assertive as he did so. Mondo chuckled lightly. “And because it is one in the morning, we need to go to bed now! There is no time to waste! I am going to get changed and then meet you here again.”

“Meet me here? Uhm, why?”

Taka’s face flushed again, and he looked off to the side.

“W-Well, if we want to wake up at the same time, shouldn’t we sleep together? I mean, so it ensures that neither of us will oversleep, r-right?” Taka laughed nervously, realizing that he was sort of using this as an excuse to sleep with Mondo again.

“Uh, s-sure! That sounds good.” Mondo smiled softly, and turned to go to his room. “But you can just come in when you’re done changing.” Mondo cursed in his head at the thought of not being able to witness Taka changing, but it went away as quickly as it had come.

“Great!” Taka went to his room, and shut the door, and Mondo could hear the ruffling of clothing almost as soon as he had entered the room.

Mondo went to his room, changed, and laid down on the bed, waiting for Taka to come. It was kind of embarrassing, lying down on the same bed that he had spooned Taka in and cried with him in. But neither of those things had a chance of occurring again, and he was sure of it.

Soon enough, Taka entered the room, shut the door and turned off the lights.

“I set my alarm for 7:30 AM, so we have enough time to prepare.”

“That’s good.”

They were awkwardly silent, and Mondo could feel Taka place his phone on Mondo’s nightstand before climbing into bed with him, his breathing growing erratic rather quickly.

“G-Goodnight, Mondo.” Taka turned to his side, and closed his eyes, about to enter a deep slumber.

“Goodnight, kyoudai.” Mondo’s breath hitched as he uttered the last word, placing his head gently against Taka’s back, earning a startled gasp from him, his hair still tied back in a curly ponytail.

Their eyes fluttered shut, and Taka was happy he had gone to bed with his best friend’s chin nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Hiro's dad actually burnt down his house, he says so in the game but I don't remember if it's during the class trial or when you're in a freetime event with him. He says it was because he didn't put out his cigarette, I remembered that while I was writing so I thought it'd be nice to add haha  
> I think I have improved my writing style slightly, and I tried to be more descriptive in the second part. I also wanna say that we are so close to 100 kudos and 1000 hits! It is crazy to know that almost 100 people out there are actively reading and enjoying my content, so thank you so much for that!


	16. The Invites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiyotaka gets a check, and then he and Mondo make breakfast together before dropping off the invitations for the fourth of July party. But a text gets Mondo thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long! I actually slept in today, but I'm back on track as of right now.

“OH MY GOD!”

Mondo jolted upwards at the scream that echoed out of the apartment, and as he looked to the right, Taka was missing from the bed.

He couldn’t believe how fast he was going, almost falling flat on his face before leaving his room as thoughts coursed throughout his nervous and frantic mind.

Was Kiyotaka okay? The scream was unidentifiable in emotion, Mondo didn’t know if it was with fear or joy or something else totally unexpected, and his muscles tensed as he worried what could have happened to Taka.

Throwing the door open, he saw Taka’s back quivering, and he ran as fast as he could. Mondo threw himself onto Taka and heard him cry out in confusion, and he realized Taka wasn’t hurt. In fact, he was fine.

“Mondo! What are you doing?” Taka looked startled, patting his shirt down and watching as Mondo breathed in and out rather quickly, his pupils incredibly dilated, heart pulsating and sweat dripping.

“I… I thought something… H-Happened to you.” Mondo felt like an idiot now, looking down, Taka actually not being in grave danger. “Shit, I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare ya or anything.”

“It’s alright, I appreciate you being worried for me.” Taka nervously smiled, and decided to explain why he had screamed with the force of a thousand suns. “I got my first check from my job, and now that I decided to take more days, I can make even more! This is a lot more than I was expecting. Getting yelled at on an almost daily basis has its perks.”

Mondo felt bad for Taka, him being trapped in a toxic environment, but at least he finally got the money he worked for. It was relieving to see Ishimaru smile.

“That’s fuckin’ awesome, Taka! You deserve it!” Mondo shared the joy with Taka, patting his back.

“Thank you, Mondo.” Taka grinned and blushed a little at the touch of Mondo’s muscular hand on him, and he put the check in his pocket. “When we go to drop off all the letters, could we go to the bank after? I would like to add this to my bank account.”

Mondo nodded, but then he remembered about the letters. 

“Oh shit, did we oversleep?”

“No, not at all. Quite the opposite actually, I woke up a little earlier than expected, before my alarm, so I shut it off, but there was a letter slipped underneath the door when I went into the kitchen. It was the check.” Taka sometimes woke up before his alarm, and it surprised even him on the rarest of occasions. “We were supposed to go at ten, and right now it’s around 7 AM actually, so I suppose we didn’t get a lot of sleep.”

“We got six hours?” Mondo liked to sleep in, but this didn’t bother him as much as it should have, probably because he thought that Taka was hurt.

“Yes, so we should get our priorities in check, Mondo. We can make breakfast first, coffee maybe, then go drop off the letters.” 

Mondo’s face blossomed red, remembering that Taka would grip onto his waist yet again. It was probably the thing he looked forward to most.

“Wait, why  _ maybe  _ for coffee?” Mondo questioned. Taka was one to drink coffee sometimes when he was tired, and his eyelids looked particularly heavy as of right now.

“The outfit incident, Mondo. I don’t want to get my clothes all soiled again.” Taka was skeptical, scratching the back of his neck. “But I guess it won’t happen again. I’ve learned my lesson not to run. That was something I never did in the hallways at school.”

Mondo snickered lightly as he remembered Taka being a quite stubborn monitor, not afraid to raise his voice whenever he heard somebody making the  _ dreaded mistake  _ of running in the hallways. Just that word used to send a shiver down Taka’s spine.

“You were a cute hall monitor.” Mondo chuckled, and walked away from Ishimaru to go to the kitchen, not seeing his face bloom into a rosy color.

_ Cute?  _ Taka supposed he should take that as a compliment, but he’s never been called cute by anybody before. And certainly not Mondo. So to be called that all of a sudden took him by surprise. But he tried to let it go, and followed him into the kitchen.

“You’re cooking?” Taka questioned, now standing at the coffee maker on the kitchen counter. Mondo was to his right, looking through the fridge.

“Yeah, I like to but I hardly do it, y’know?”

Taka remembered when he cooked for him, and then he proceeded to- 

_ I’m not going to get into that discussion. _

“I’ll make, or at least try to make waffles.” Mondo gave a dorky thumbs up, his hair in the loose ponytail from last night.

“That’s great, kyoudai! Thank you for cooking for me!” Taka smiled cheerfully before turning to the coffee maker again, taking a cup of coffee grounds and putting it into the top. He shut it and refilled the water supply before putting the mug in the compartment and pressing start. The whole process was rather speedy, like he had done it numerous times. 

Mondo couldn’t help but look at his delicate fingers as he made the coffee, and he smiled at Taka’s pride when the coffee began pouring out of the machine and into the mug.

“I really do amaze myself sometimes.” Taka joked, and Mondo let out a hearty chuckle before grabbing the waffle mix in the top cupboard. 

As the coffee filled up the mug quickly, Taka got out the milk from the fridge and two sugar packets from next to the coffee maker. By the time the mug was almost full, Taka stopped the process and began sweetening the coffee to his liking. 

“You put a lot of stuff in your coffee, damn.” Mondo remarked, watching Kiyotaka fill the mug with a rather large amount of milk before pouring the sugar packets in. 

“It’s better when it’s like this, I hate bitter coffee.” Taka replied, taking the mug with extreme caution as it was practically to the brim with the sweet brown liquid. Taka enjoyed sweet things a lot more than bitter things, for example he didn’t like dark chocolate. He sometimes wondered why people could enjoy eating or drinking bitter stuff on purpose.

Taka went to set the coffee mug down on the table before returning to Mondo and placing his hands on his shoulders, feeling him relax slightly when he was touched. He was pleased that he could make his friend feel more comfortable.

“Do you want some help?” Taka asked, looking at Mondo preparing the waffle mix in the glass bowl on the countertop, the instructions practically useless to him. He memorized the recipe a while ago, so he didn’t need any directions, and Taka couldn’t help but admire Mondo’s levels of expertise in certain areas.

“Shit, I mean sure. The more the merrier.” Mondo smiled at Taka’s company, and it was like he could stay here forever with him by his side. “If you could take two eggs and fill up a cup of water, that’d be great.” 

Taka saluted Mondo with a grin on his face before grabbing the eggs from the refrigerator, putting them on the counter for Mondo and filling the cup with water. Helping him put a smile on Mondo’s face, and that was all he needed to keep on doing it.

“Thanks.” Mondo smiled, brushing his hair out of his face and cracking the eggs, the waffle maker he opened up earlier heating up. “You should sit down.” 

Taka nodded, and sat down at the kitchen table. He rested his chin on his fist, feet tapping against the tile floor, hearing Mondo mix the waffle ingredients. It was a hot day, sunshine filtering through the windows and hitting his body. 

Mondo was wearing a tank top and black leggings with brown slippers, taking the time to rearrange his messy ponytail after he put the mixture in the waffle maker. Closing it, he rinsed his hands of the batter that stuck to his hand, and Taka just sat down and admired him hard at work. 

For somebody who seemed to be rather aggressive on the outside, he really had a soft spot, and Taka loved that about him.

_ Hold on, love? I don’t love him, of course not, it isn’t like that. We are just friends, I should stop lying to myself, he would never like somebody like me, being friends with him is just fine. _

Taka wasn’t a person to deny his feelings, and he was always incredibly straightforward with people, especially during his hall monitor years. But he knew he wasn’t denying his feelings right now, because he and Mondo were, once again, best friends. 

He thought back to the day when he  _ pleasured himself to Mondo.  _ It felt unreal, that day, and seeing him again after he had done so just made him even more longing for his best friend. Taka was embarrassed at that action, however, and every time he thought about it, it made the familiar sensation of his abdomen heating up return. But that was the only day he would think of Mondo in that way, he knew it.

Kiyotaka came back to reality as Mondo put two plates of steaming waffles in front of him, the smell entering his nostrils and bringing a pleased smile to his face.

“Mondo, I’m surprised with your cooking!” Taka remarked, and Mondo flushed slightly.

“Thanks, man, but I just followed the recipe really.” Mondo joined Taka at the kitchen table, and laid out the utensils. “I’m glad you like it, I can’t remember the last time somebody liked my shit.”

“Well, I do.” Taka replied matter of factly, making Mondo’s smile grow even bigger. “And since we have a long day ahead of us, this is a great meal for us to have.”

As they ate, they talked about the letters, and wrote down their friends' addresses. They were going to go in order of how close each person was to them, so Taka had taken the time to stack the letters so he could grab each one in accordance with the person's addresses.

“I think we should talk for a little bit and have some fun before we go to the park. They are hosting fireworks at that park with the lake, so we can rest in the field and watch them. I can buy a cooler and popsicles for all of us too.” Taka was very determined with his plan, knowing he could pull everything off. Mondo just liked watching Taka being assertive, meanwhile agreeing blindly.

When they finished the food and Taka finished his coffee, he immediately stood up and went to grab the helmet at the edge of the counter.

“We’re done kind of early, actually. That gives us more time to finish dropping off the letters. This day is shaping up to be rather productive!” Mondo smiled at how excited Taka was to get the day started, seeing that he had finished his food quickly. “We can take our time, of course, I want to spend more time with you.” Taka blushed as he said that, and Mondo cleared his throat, his face also a light shade of pink. 

“I’m fuckin’ ready.” Mondo was excited too, and he readjusted his ponytail yet again before getting up to grab his biker jacket on the coat rack as well as change into a pair of black boots. He liked Taka’s boots, how they were high up and had a lot of laces. They went well with his white school uniform, and basically anything else that he wore. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.” 

Taka was already dressed, ready for a while now, but after a nice conversation with Mondo and some coffee, he felt even more prepared. 

“Let’s go! I’ve programmed my phone GPS, so just put the earbuds in and you’ll hear the directions for each house. I’ll tell you when to slow down so I can throw them.”

Mondo nodded, already halfway out the door as he had dressed rather quickly. Taka caught up, smiling to himself as he fastened the helmet around his head.

~~~

The afternoon brought so much joy to Taka and Mondo, enjoying being a team. The trickiest house they had come by was Byakuya’s, which was less of a normal house and more of a palace. Taka couldn’t throw the letter to where anybody could see it, so he and Mondo had to walk up and talk to the guards for about ten minutes before Byakuya came out himself and took the letter from their hands in person, thanking them rather snidely.

“Goddamm, what a prick.”

Taka didn’t want to retort, because he somewhat did agree with Mondo’s exclamation. Still, he received the letter, and that was all that mattered.

Junko and Muruko lived together, so they threw both of the letters on their porch, and Taka witnessed what appeared to be Junko come out and pick them up, looking at them pass by. The process was similar for Makoto and Komaru, with Makoto coming out and waving at Taka, who excitedly waved back.

The last house, or the one farthest away from them, was none other than Aoi Asahina’s. She was running laps around her house, but stopped as she noticed the all too familiar motorcycle passing by. 

“Oh, hi guys!” Hina smiled, stopping her laps and giving her attention to Taka and Mondo, who waved back. “Thanks for the letter!” Hina didn’t know what it was, but Taka wasn’t surprised that she would still thank them regardless. Out of all the classmates, Hina was somebody Taka favored quite a bit besides Mondo. 

She was incredibly nice, for one, and Taka couldn’t forget the compassion she showed him back at the fair when he was in a fight with Mondo. Hina really did care for her friends, and she made Taka feel all warm and fuzzy inside in a way. But Taka knew that he didn’t like her for one thing, because he would much rather have her be dating Sakura.

The two of them were actually very good together, Taka thought. Their friendship back at Hopes Peak made Taka skeptical if it was platonic or not, with their constant smothering each other in bucketfuls of affection. Sakura one time for Valentines brought Hina a bouquet of flowers, and then they both didn’t come to gym afterwards. Which really confused Kiyotaka due to the fact that he knew that gym was the one class they loved more than anything else, and then he started thinking that maybe they could’ve been dating in secret. He wouldn’t doubt it.

Did people think about Taka and Mondo like this? Taka had gotten his fair share of teasing for his friendship with Mondo, and he was very affectionate towards him. Mondo had gotten some too, but he didn’t show nearly as much compassion in public to Taka as Taka had to Mondo. 

Maybe someone they knew was thinking about the two of them together right now, and he realized that if they saw Taka clutching onto Mondo’s waist tightly, their suspicions could be confirmed.

But Taka  _ knew  _ they weren’t like that, and he was sure Mondo thought the same too.

This series of events all unfolded in his head, and before he knew it, they were in front of the bank.

“Hm? Why are we here?” Taka questioned, yawning slightly. He felt rather tired, the coffee wearing off.

“Well, you said you had to go to the bank, right? You still got that check in your pocket, so you should cash it out.”

“Oh, of course! Thank you for reminding me.” Taka reached for the check in his pocket and pulled it out, admiring the amount he had gotten. Granted, it hadn’t been a fun way of getting the money, but he needed it desperately. “Give me a few minutes, please.” Taka stood up, taking off his helmet and placing it on the seat, and walked into the bank still staring at the check in his hands.

Mondo nodded, and took out his phone. He had gotten several messages from some recipients of the letters, and it looked like some people had already gotten them.

**Hifumi:** _ Thank you for the invite, Mondo! But I hate to tell you guys I cannot come, I’m going to go to a fourth of July expo and I’ve had tickets reserved for almost six months now. Hope you understand, but send me lots of videos! _

**Junko:** _ Thanks for inviting us. Muruko cannot attend because she is currently stationed in one of her military bases, but I would be more than happy to.  _

**Komaru:** _ Hi Mondo! I’m super sorry but I can’t come, I already made plans with some of my best friends. But Makoto will be coming for sure, sorry again! _

**Hina:** _ Thanks soooooo much for inviting me! Oh my gosh I am sooooooooooo excited! You and Taka are amazing together, and I'm sure everyone else knows it ;) Can’t wait to see u!! _

Three people not attending didn’t bother Mondo too much. After all, he wasn’t exactly close with Hifumi, Muruko, or Komaru anyways, but Taka would be at least a little disappointed. The thing that stood out to him most however was the text from Hina.

What did she mean,  _ You and Taka are amazing together, and I’m sure everyone else knows it?  _ It wasn’t the first time somebody implied that Taka and Mondo had a thing going on, but the everyone else knows it part was what confused him. 

Did everyone else they knew suspected that Taka and Mondo were together? For everybody to think something like that made Mondo tense up, and he grumbled. Was everyone conspiring and saying they’d end up together or something like that?

The thought of so many people wanting the two of them together made Mondo blush a little. Were they all talking about it in private? That would explain the rather suggestive talks Mondo had heard when he was caught hugging Taka in the ferris wheel. 

To have so many people involved in their  _ private  _ friendship got Mondo slightly annoyed, however, because he knew he didn’t like Taka.  _ He knew he didn’t. _

_ I fucking don’t. _

He rested his head against the motorcycle and groaned rather loudly, and continued this for some time not knowing Taka was right behind him.

“Uh, Mondo?”

Mondo practically fell off the bike when he heard Taka’s voice, and his cheeks reddened. 

“Oh, shit uh, yeah, get on.” Mondo suddenly couldn’t think straight, and rushing hope would be the most plausible option for him right about now.

“Uh, okay.” Taka complied with a confused expression, throwing one leg over the motorcycle and getting on, clutching his waist, helmet already fastened tightly. “I deposited the check into my bank account rather quickly, so-”

“Yeah, that’s good.” Mondo just wanted to rush home more than anything, so he cut Taka off and revved the motorcycle before speeding out of there, Taka’s befuddled expression stabbing into the back of his head.

He  _ knew  _ he  _ didn’t. _

_ Like. _

_ Kiyotaka Ishimaru. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope the last bit wasn't rushed again, and I just hope you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I am with writing this!


	17. Groceries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mondo and Taka go to the supermarket and are greeted by more familiar faces, who tell them a secret. But Mondo starts questioning his sexuality, something which has been on his mind for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tuckered out from writing, but I hope you guys will like this one :)!

Standing in the supermarket entrance with Mondo, Taka smiled to himself. It had been a full day since they’d dropped off the letters, so it was now July third, and they were going to get the rest of the preparations for the party. Time really did fly by fast when you were having fun, and this was true for the both of them. They had walked there, it being a short distance from the apartment complex and all, and they had made the decision to try to not overstock too much so they didn't need to carry too many items back home.

It wasn’t going to be as fancy as Taka had expected it to be originally, what with it basically being a friend gathering and all, but he and Mondo were fine with it. Mondo didn’t exactly enjoy too extravagant celebrations and preferred to keep it to a minimum, while Taka liked both. Mondo sometimes didn't understand why Taka would like to go to obnoxiously tacky parties that had rude guests, he thought it was better to just relax and chat with a few friends.

The day had the same atmosphere as the previous two, with the sun beaming down and warming their bodies standing in the parking lot. It hadn't been cold for some time, what with the heart of summer truly coming to life right now. It was probably going to get hotter as time went on, but Mondo hated cold weather, so he couldn't complain exactly. Taka’s boots grinded against the gravel road as he walked up to the entrance, Mondo right next to him, and they were in the middle of a rather deep conversation about what popsicles they should get. 

They had texted Leon previously and had come to the conclusion that he would bring the food if they brought refreshments and popsicles, and Taka let Leon know that he wouldn't be having any alcohol, but everyone else could do as they pleased. He didn't want a replay of the wine incident, that would be a catastrophic disaster for him.

Mondo didn’t really mind, he preferred Taka sober to him drunk, as he could actually have a decent conversation with him when he had a clear head. Taka was just embarrassed that he had gotten drunk in the first place, and it went against everything he had stood for, though he thought that the relaxing sensation was at least an upside.

“So, should we decide on a theme for them? I was thinking we could have red white and blue popsicles, so we need to find specific flavors for them. Strawberry, coconut, and blueberry seem like valid options, don’t you think, Mondo?” Taka seemed to be taking this a lot more seriously than Mondo, who couldn’t give a shit what flavors the popsicles were. 

“I don’t think anybody’s going to care, Taka, we’re just gonna talk in the apartment for like an hour before we all head out to the park together. Still can’t believe Byakuya is coming.” Mondo was sort of peeved that the blond rich man was going to arrive, and he could practically taste the snide remarks that would be made on his tongue. 

“It’s important that we have a steady theme, Mondo. And maybe Byakuya will have fun too, you never know.” Taka replied, opening the door and walking into the supermarket with Mondo, who felt a breeze overcome him. 

It was cold in the supermarket for one thing, and Mondo suspected that it was because they were right near the vegetables which were being kept cool with ice surrounding them. He hadn’t been in here since he had went shopping for food with Taka, who had been very persistent on the idea that they needed to get a full fridge before they could continue moving in. 

“Since we aren’t going to have any actual food, we should get a lot of popsicles and stuff like that, as well as some drinks.” Taka was nodding to himself, proud of his plan he had formed. Mondo just listened and agreed with everything that he was saying. “Let’s go to the dessert section, Mondo!” Taka said excitedly, looking forward to picking out the popsicle flavors. Relaxing music played throughout the store, which calmed Mondo’s senses slightly. 

“Let’s do it.” Mondo answered, and felt rather pumped all of a sudden. He followed Kiyotaka to the dessert section, or ran would be a more accurate description. Taka was trying to get there as fast as he could without making the mistake of running in a public establishment, and Mondo was surprised at how fast he could be.

Taka stood in front of the towering fridges, looking like a kid in a candy store, the array of popsicles glimmering to him. 

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road!” Taka grinned before throwing the fridge door open and admiring the popsicles with even more sparkles in his eyes. 

Mondo couldn’t help but smile at the childlike wonder Taka had in his eyes, and then he started stacking boxes of popsicles in his arms, making the mistake of not getting a cart earlier. 

“Woah, you’re kinda overdoing it, Taka.” Mondo watched Taka wobble slightly, trying to keep his balance with all of the boxes in his arms, but he just shook his head.

“I'm not, M-Mondo!" Taka briefly lost track of his sentence as he nearly fell over. "Maybe I should've brought something, that's my fault, but I know I can carry these popsicles by mysel- OH GOD!" Taka let out a terrified scream, finally losing his balance and toppling to the floor, the boxes flying out of his hands.

Well, he almost fell on the floor, if it weren't for Mondo catching him.

"Gotcha!"

Mondo sighed as he held the dazed Kiyotaka in his arms, blushing immensely at the feeling of his strong arms clutching him. He wouldn't mind if he could stay here forever, looking into Mondo's eyes until the world ended. But Mondo seemed to lift him up before that was possible.

"You could've hit your fuckin' head, Taka. Watch it next time, please." The last word was uttered with a sense of caring, as Mondo gently lifted Taka back upwards and helped him regain his footing.

"I-I'm sorry, Mondo. I should have been more responsible." Taka groaned, looking down at the floor, disappointed in himself. "I will go and get a shopping cart, wait here please!" He dashed out of the aisle, embarrassed he had fallen so clumsily. 

Mondo shook his head, watching Taka's face redden as he rushed to the carts near the entrance, but he turned back around due to hearing a familiar voice. One that he had heard yesterday.

"Hi, Mondo!"

It was Aoi Asahina, waving excitedly at Mondo, holding Sakura Ogami's hand.

Wait, she was holding her hand?

"Oh, hey guys! Did you... uh...."

"Yeah, we saw that. It's kind of adorable how you caught him, really." Sakura's deep voice had a hint of a smile somewhere in it, and she smirked at Mondo's face flushing. "Maybe we should tell him before anybody else?" She asked Hina, who also turned pink at that sentence.

"Oh, okay! I didn't expect it'd be so soon, though." Hina's feet shuffled as she looked down at the tile floor in the supermarket, seeming to be kind of nervous. "Well, Mondo's not going to mind, I'm sure. He's our friend, right? And Taka won't either."

"Hm? Mind what?" Mondo questioned, curious as to what the two were talking about. 

"Oh, me and Hina are dating." Sakura replied nonchalantly, but Hina's blush grew even brigher, and she smiled rather awkwardly at Mondo, whose eyes were widened.

"YOU ARE!?"

A voice was heard behind Mondo, who jumped and practically fell over due to being startled, but it was Kiyotaka. He was pushing the cart with his hands but had stopped to gawk over the two of them.

"I knew it all along!" Taka cried out, running towards the two of them with open arms. He pulled Hina into a tight hug, and lifted her slightly, earning a squeak from her. "That's amazing, guys!" He attempted to do the same to Sakura, but he could barely finish wrapping his arms around her muscular figure.

"I knew you wouldn't be mad." Sakura chuckled, looking down at Taka trying to hug her fully. "You and Mondo have good hearts."

Mondo realized he hadn't said a word since he had heard of the two dating, and he should have had something come out of his mouth by now.

"That's great! Yeah, I'm proud of you!" Mondo smiled, scratching the back of his head. It hadn't been a surprise to him, really. Mondo had suspected that the two had had some sort of romantic relationship going on, due to all the stunts they had pulled back at Hopes Peak.

"Mad? Me? Of course I wouldn't be mad. I'm gay!" Taka said excitedly before realizing what had come out of his mouth, and quickly returned to a rigid position, holding his hand over his lips. The aisle had grown quiet, and Taka understood the gravity of his words, seeing Sakura and Hina's expressions change.

He was sure he had screwed up everything now, and he could practically feel Mondo's disappointed eyes boring in the back of his skull. Why was he such an idiot?

"I-I mean... uh... I didn't... Did I say that out loud? I wasn't expecting to tell you guys so soon, but I mean if you're gonna-"

Taka was cut off by Sakura lifting him up and hugging him bone crushingly, sucking all the air out of his lungs.

"We will support you no matter what, Kiyotaka." Sakura was happy, and she smiled widely as Taka did the same, Hina as well.

"Yeah! I don't care who you love, you're still my best friend." Hina said confidently, and the three of them shared excited expressions. Taka now had three more people accept him for being gay? He never would have expected so many to be on his side, but Sakura and Hina were some of the last people who would hate him for that. The true shocker was Mondo's reaction, where Taka was convinced he would hate him. "Anybody who says otherwise can kiss my butt!"

"T-Thank you so much! I-I don't know what to say! I..."

Taka was lost for words as Sakura put him down, happy tears pooling in his eyes, face all bright and cheerful.

"Say nothing, let's help you and Mondo with your shopping. You're having a party tomorrow anyways, and since Leon told us he's bringing the food and you're bringing refreshments, it wouldn't hurt to have some extra pairs of hands." Sakura said, and Hina nodded behind her.

"Really? O-Okay! Thanks, guys!"

Mondo realized he was just staring at the three of them as they had that conversation, and he felt a pang of jealousy in his heart.

Why was Taka so confident with that? Even though it might have looked like he didn't mean to come out, he certainly didn't regret saying it when he heard their reactions. Mondo couldn't remember the last time he was willing to admit something as big as that, and he might have been questioning his sexuality for some time now.

He thought back to the day when he was talking with Leon at the park, and he yelled out loud that he didn't know if he loved Taka. It wasn't a yes or a no, but an I don't know. That was much more dangerous than a simple yes or no answer. Combined with Leon asking if he was bi, he didn't know what to think anymore.

Mondo knew he liked girls. Despite not getting a girlfriend in forever due to the fact that he kept on yelling while he was asking them out, he knew his feelings for them were wholeheartedly real. He remembered all those times he had blushed while looking at one, or feeling his stomach knot as he was preparing to ask one out. He knew he liked girls, of course he did.

But did he like guys?

Mondo wasn't sure of that.

He never felt romantically towards a guy before, and all the men he had encountered had strictly been friends. But ever since he met Kiyotaka, that barrier started to bend.

All those times he felt himself blush, or fill with honey, or feel butterflies in his stomach around a guy, those had been with Taka. All those times he had felt so affectionate towards a guy, it had been with Taka. So could he be bi?

No, he couldn't. Just because he liked one guy doesn't mean he likes guys in general.

But whenever he thought of seeing Taka's muscular figure, or his appealing backside, it made him feel so fuzzy inside. He had a thing for Taka's body type, it looked like, so maybe he did like some guys. Not all of them, but some of them.

But he did not.

Like.

_Taka._

"Hello? Earth to Mondo?" 

Hina's hand waved in front of Mondo's face, and he snapped back to reality, realizing that Hina, Sakura, and Taka were looking at him with concerned expressions.

"Mondo, you look really red. And you're sweating. Are you alright?" Taka asked, and felt his forehead, hearing a hitched gasp come from Mondo. "I hope you're not sick or anything like that."

Christ, was he really daydreaming this entire time?

"No, I'm fine, trust me. Let's just pick this shit up and continue."

Mondo started picking up the boxes that were on the floor and placing them into the cart, seeing Hina, Sakura, and Taka soon follow. They had some side conversations along the way, but Mondo wasn't really involved in any of them. He just wanted to stop thinking if he liked guys or not.

When they had finished placing the popsicles in the cart, they ventured to the drinks, where they took a lot of cans of soda, sparkling water, and a few bottled waters as well. Taka made sure they got normal water, saying that they needed to stay hydrated healthily.

The entire time they embarked on the mini adventure that was scouting items for the party, Mondo had that thought prying in the back of his mind, practically ripping the rest of his thoughts away as it was all he could focus on.

_Was he bi?_

He still thought of that, and realized that he might have been thinking about it for too long, as he was already at the checkout line with the other three, engaged in another striking conversation. Resting his head against the handlebar of the cart and ignoring Taka's remarks about how many germs lurked there, he thought to himself again and again and again.

_Am I bi?_

"Bye!"

Sakura and Hina waved as Taka did too before walking in the opposite direction outside of the supermarket, holding their own bags of groceries they had bought while assisting Taka and Mondo with theirs.

Mondo saw that he was now standing outside in the dimming light with Taka, who was clutching two bags in his fists, and Mondo had three. Peering inside, he saw that the contents of the bag were nothing but popsicles and drinks, which didn't bother him all too much.

"Mondo, you're acting kind of distant. Is something wrong?" Taka asked, looking at Mondo worriedly. "If you're sick, you should tell me, ok?"

"I'm fine. Let's get this shit home, I feel fuckin' exhausted." Mondo smiled slightly at Taka, enjoying looking into his ruby red eyes which glimmered in the afternoon sun. Taka returned the smile, gripping the bags even more tightly, and looked back at Sakura's and Hina's disappearing figures.

"I feel rather tired as well. Spending all this time with you was very fun, but I must admit, it has made me sleepy." They had partaken in a number of activities over the few days, and they were all enjoyable for the two of them, but took up a lot of their energy.

"So, sleep in my bed again tonight. We can, you know, wake up at the same time and all that shit." Mondo asked, feeling his cheeks redden as he asked Taka to sleep with him. 

Taka smiled wider, a slight blush overcoming his face, and he started walking with Mondo by his side, ready to go back to the apartment complex.

"I can't wait."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end was so sweet, I love writing endings like that sometimes.  
> Hope you guys liked this chapter, I can feel the build up already!


	18. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the party starts and everyone arrives, the group decides to play truth or dare. But something unexpected is asked, and Mondo and Kiyotaka are caught extremely caught off-guard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry for the small wait, I got some new drawing stuff so I spent some time working out the kinks. Namely, a drawing tablet. But I'm back to updating, and I'll keep up my regular schedule now.

It was the fourth of July, and everything was chaotic in the small apartment.

Well, at least for Kiyotaka.

"Can you please check the cooler again? I cannot have anything left out, Mondo!" Taka shouted over his shoulder, frantically sweeping the kitchen floor, preparing to mop it. The dustpan was filled with dust from crevices of the kitchen that Taka had not known existed prior to sweeping, and he was moving like lightning, getting every last bit off of the floor. Mondo was set to do a calmer task, which didn't bother him. He was tidying up the living room and the kitchen, washing the dishes and picking up clothes and papers off of the floor, but he had to leave the area more than once due to Taka coming in and sweeping up.

They had overslept considerably, once again in the same bed, so when Taka woke up at the extremely late time of one PM, his scream of terror made Mondo's head jolt upwards and hit the headboard, which resulted in a string of loud confused curses coming from the bedroom, setting the both of them on edge. He had forgot to set an alarm, and it made him go crazy that he woke up at that time. He couldn't remember the last time that the first thing he saw on the clock was one PM.

"I've checked it three times. You need to fuckin' chill." Mondo was in slight disbelief at how frantic Taka was, rushing back and forth, cleaning with the force of a thousand suns. He emptied the last dustpan into the garbage can, and rechecked the apartment, making sure there was no dust.

"Well, we overslept quite a bit, Mondo. We can't have our apartment looking like a pigsty. Now, I'm going to start mopping." Taka motioned his hand towards the cooler, as if he was ordering Mondo to check it again, and he went to grab the mop that was resting in the closet at the end of the room.

"You don't need to mop, dude, you've made this entire place clean. Look around." Mondo replied, getting lightly agitated as he opened the cooler again. Everything was in the same place as it had been before, and it wasn't going to leave anytime soon.

"But I-"

"Taka, please, you need to calm the hell down." Mondo closed the cooler, going up to Ishimaru, clutching onto the mop handle for dear life. "Everything is already clean, it's not going to get that much dirtier. Besides, we're gonna just sit here for a little bit before we go to the park together, nobody's going to care."

"But Byakuya-"

"Byakuya? You're worried about _him?_ You should care less about what that annoying sadistic prick thinks, he's going to be an ass but it's not going to matter." Mondo was trying to comfort Taka, placing a hand on his shoulder, brushing his fingers through his loose hair. He was wearing it in a ponytail and hadn't had any reason to use the pompadour hairstyle, as he hadn't been in the gang much anymore. He wondered what he would do, because the gang was starting to tire him out, and he knew he couldn't do it forever. "Just relax, you need a break."

"I guess I shouldn't mind what he says, he wasn't very polite usually." Taka replied, looking down and scuffing his feet across the hardwood floor in the living room, flushing slightly at the feeling of Mondo's grip on his shoulder. "I've been working for such a long time, almost three hours. I've been sort of annoying, I'm sorry Mondo."

"The fuck? You shouldn't apologize, you're just responsible! But even responsible people need to relax once in a while, ya know?" Mondo smiled awkwardly at Taka, who had turned around and was reaching up to put the mop in the closet. He had to jump slightly, as the shelf was rather high, and was about to give up before Mondo wrapped his arms around his waist and hoisted him up.

"Mondo! W-What are you doing?" Taka gasped, and blushed harder as Mondo's firm grasp lifted him, so he was practically eye level with the shelf. "This is... uhm..." He looked back at Mondo, who had a smile on his face as he watched Taka all flustered above him, pink spread across his cheeks, eyebrows furrowed.

"Helping you out." Mondo replied, as if it was obvious what he was doing. Taka felt butterflies rise in his stomach as he lifted the mop and placed it on the shelf, feeling himself be lowered gently afterwards. His breath was stolen, and he just stood there, face crimson.

"Now that you're done cleaning and freaking out, it's almost time for everyone to come here. You've been doing a lot of shit, this place is spotless."

The whole apartment was cleaned from top to bottom as a result of Taka and Mondo's handiwork, and even the cabinets were not dusty one bit, the wood gleaming. The appliances were shiny and bright, the afternoon light reflecting off of the fridge doors, and bouncing back onto the two others standing in the living room. Taka had wanted to clean the floors even more despite them being so clean you could literally eat off of them. Mondo didn't remember the last time he lived in such a tidy place, and it seemed to give him a headache if he tried to imagine it even cleaner than it already was. There weren't any decorations, as it was just a hangout really, but that didn't stop Taka from scrubbing the place down top to bottom.

"Y-Yeah, I guess." Taka nervously smiled, rubbing his waist, feeling the imprint of Mondo's strong fingers still on there. "Sorry for making you check the cooler all those times." He laughed slightly, and watched Mondo erupt into a grin, who laughed back.

"It's fine, they're definitely not going anywhere. I'll go get changed, everyone's probably going to show up soon."

"You're being responsible Mondo, I like it." Taka smiled, and walked into his room. "I'm going to change too, the party does start in half an hour, after all." He shut the door behind him and got to work, deciding on what to wear. 

After a while of trial and error, he had decided on a white undershirt, a white dress shirt, black dress pants, a black leather jacket, and his classic high top boots. He thought he looked rather bold, and smiled to himself, enjoying the outfit he had picked out. The jacket was very special to him. It was a gift from Mondo to him, who had given it to him for his birthday. He remembered the day when he opened the box and his jaw practically dropped to the floor, admiring the wonderful leather and the craftsmanship. It must have been very expensive, but he was extremely grateful nonetheless. Mondo was delighted to see his happy smile, and erupted in happiness when he saw how much Taka liked the gift. He hadn't had many chances to wear it, being hot and all, but he decided to make an exception.

When he opened the door, he thought he would only see Mondo sitting at the kitchen table, but to his surprise, there was already another person there. Two, in fact.

Byakuya Togami and Junko Enoshima were standing in the living room.

"Oh, hello, guys! I didn't expect you'd be so early." Taka grinned and went to hug the two of them, first Junko, who jumped back into the hug as well.

"It's nice to see you, Taka! I actually left exactly ten minutes ago, so I came right on time!" Junko replied, and squeezed him tightly, smiling into his shoulder. "I was supposed to come at four thirty, right? That's what I was told."

"It's four thirty? I guess I took too long picking out an outfit." Taka laughed slightly, remembering that it was four when he went to get changed. "Well, it was worth it." When he broke the hug and went to go hug Byakuya, he didn't return the gesture, instead scoffing lightly and looking off to the side.

"It feels strange, being in a place like this. I can't remember the last time I had to enter an... _apartment._ But it is quite clean." Byakuya remarked, and grimaced as Taka's arms wrapped around his slender figure. "But, thank you for the invite, I suppose. I wasn't expecting to spend time with my classmates, I had a gathering planned with the Togami foundation. But I can't pass an offer when it comes to me, regardless of how common it is." Taka left the hug awkwardly, feeling like Byakuya didn't want to be held. "Mondo looks decent for once, that hairstyle he used to have made me want to vomit half the time I saw it." Taka remembered how brutally honest Byakuya could be, but he hated himself for agreeing a little bit with him. Maybe he didn't want to _vomit_ when he saw it, but it was a strange thing.

"The fuck?" 

Taka heard the familiar voice, and looked to his left to see Mondo standing near the doorway, and he had been talking to someone there for some time now. 

"It's not that bad, calm yourself Byakuya." Mondo relaxed slightly, seeing Taka. "You took half an hour to get ready, so I had to bring the five in."

"I am sorry for that, Mondo. What do you mean 'five'?"

Mondo responded by opening the door all the way, revealing the three other guests standing at the entrance.

Leon, Sayaka, and Makoto.

"Hi!" 

Sayaka cheerfully smiled and ran into the apartment, wrapping her arms around Kiyotaka and sucking all the air out of his lungs, almost twirling around from the level of excitement she had.

"It's so good to see you again, Taka! Happy fourth of July!" Her voice was melodic and sweet, and she seemed to be extremely excited. "I can't wait for all the plans we have today! Thank you for inviting us!" She noticed Junko and Byakuya standing near Taka, and she went to go hug them too, but Byakuya physically recoiled. Junko, however, accepted the hug back happily.

"Hi, Sayaka! I love your new song!" Junko smiled and squealed, holding her hands, jumping up and down with her. "It's great to have a talented and kind and pretty friend!" The two of them bounced up and down, wide smiles on their faces, slightly ditzy. 

"Oh my god, thank you so much Junko! And I love your new clothing line!"

Taka almost snorted at Byakuya's expression, which looked like he had just drunk a gallon of sour milk.

"I wasn't expecting to be encountering such air headed behavior so early on." He sighed rather loudly, and walked to Leon and Makoto, slightly relieved that he had two more men to converse with. "Hello. I assume your sister won't be making it? Shame. She was slightly more educated than you."

"Uh, thanks?" Makoto replied nervously, scratching the back of his head. He smiled awkwardly, Byakuya had weird ways of starting conversations. Leon made an attempt to start a normal one, however, and smiled as he did so.

"So, how's the company doing?" Leon asked, knowing almost nothing about Byakuya's finances.

"What do you mean, how's the company doing? You're going to need to be more specific, Kuwata, I have many different areas of expertise, and I-"

Byakuya was cut off as the door opened again, and his face turned a pale gray, seeing someone that he thought he would never have to see again after graduation. All the words seemed to disappear from his mouth except one that was uttered with true dread and confusion.

"T-Toko?"

"BYAKUYA!"

Toko ran as fast as she could, and everybody else in the room stared and started laughing slightly, seeing Toko throw herself onto Byakuya. He stopped everything he was doing, her arms clutching his slender waist and taking his breath away, not in the good way. Her face flushed red and her glasses steamed slightly, her purple braids swinging around. 

"Oh my GOD! I thought I-I'd n-never see you again, I tried to go to your house but for some reason t-the guards wouldn't let m-me pass! I w-wrote a book f-for you, a-and I delivered i-it to you! Y-You're gonna l-love it! It's a-about us!~" She squealed and started sweating, her face crimson. Her eyes had a crazy glint in them, and she obsessed over Byakuya who was standing rigidly. He seemed incapable of saying anything, but he looked extremely angry as he turned his head to Taka, who immediately ceased the act of laughing a little.

"You i-invited... her?"

"Everyone from class was invited, Byakuya, you shouldn't be too upset." Taka smiled nervously, and Byakuya's face grew even paler.

"Y-You... I...."

"What's wrong, Byakuya? I missed you so m-much! Y-You're everything I w-want!" She giggled nervously, and her breath grew ragged, and then she proceeded to take a deep sniff of Byakuya's suit. The room grew quiet except for the sounds of Toko obsessing over the tall blond man who looked like he was about to have a stroke, stuttering blindly.

"Y-You smell so g-good! God I can't wait to watch the fireworks w-with you!" More giggles came out of her, and she looked heartbroken when Byakuya stepped away slowly from her, almost as if she was a zombie of some sorts. "W-What's w-wrong, master? D-Did I do s-something w-wrong? I'm s-so sorry! I'll do w-whatever you want!"

Byakuya tried to regain some of his composure, fists clenched tightly, teeth gritted. His voice came out as a slight snarl.

"You want me to read your book? Keep your mouth shut. Don't say anything."

Toko nodded ecstatically, not speaking anymore, but a bright blush still across her face. She seemed intent on doing whatever Byakuya wanted her to.

Mondo stood in disbelief at the door, stopping the conversation he had with the other people in the hallway that had wondered what was happening. To ease the thick air, he opened the door, and in stepped the rest of the guests, making the apartment complete.

It was Kyoko, Hina, Chihiro, Hiro, and Sakura. 

"Hey, Taka! Here are your clothes! I thought it'd be better if I just gave them to you, cause they're done anyways."

Hiro's voice seemed to calm everyone down, even Byakuya, and conversation began to resume as it had before. Everyone started talking, and everyone was happy to re connect with one another. Everyone except Toko, who was just following Byakuya without saying a word. Byakuya looked like he was somewhat calmer, but he was still visibly annoyed due to her following him around like a puppy, and he had said on more than one occasion that she should stand up straighter. 

"Oh, thank you, Hiro!" Taka smiled, taking the clothes from Hiro and gently placing them down on the kitchen counter. "You came just in time, everyone is here now."

"Really? Thank god my car didn't break down again, haha!" Hiro grinned and gave a thumbs up. "By the way, what happened with Toko? She looks kinda weird, if I'm being honest. Oh, did she go all crazy for Byakuya again? She did that a lot during school."

"Oh, yeah. It's kinda a long story, but we should probably settle down. We should reconnect with everybody, do some stuff before we get ready to go the fireworks."

Taka said that last part a little louder, as if he wanted everyone to listen to him, and everyone turned around except Toko who was still drooling over Byakuya.

"Let's get started!" Hina smiled, and pumped her fist, Sakura smiling next to her.

Within a few minutes, they were sitting in a circle on the floor in the living room, everyone excited and ready to catch up. Everyone except Byakuya who was making annoyed comments about how he had to sit on the hardwood floor, but the others just ignored his complaints.

"Why isn't Celeste here?" Makoto asked, hands on his knees, the question directed towards Taka.

"Yeah, you did invite her, right?" Kyoko questioned, her long purple hair in a ponytail. She seemed rather tidy with her appearance today, her gloves a more rich shade of purple. It looked like she had gotten a little dressed up.

The others in the circle all nodded.

"Will she be coming soon? I mean I know that Muruko, Hifumi, and Komaru aren't, but is she?" Chihiro asked, and he was in a white dress shirt and grey pants. Ever since school had ended, he had decided to let everyone know his true gender, and had made an effort to dress more boyish. He was more proud of his appearance, with everyone supporting him no matter what.

Taka grew rigid at that question, and laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. Mondo noticed that he looked off, and since he knew what Celeste did, it didn't bother him that she didn't come.

"Something sort of unpleasant. I don't want to delve into details, thank you." Taka said, and Kyoko nodded.

"I understand, you have your reasons. She didn't strike me as a party person, even though she gambles quite a bit."

"Thank you, Kyoko." Taka smiled. He had always liked Kyoko, she was understanding and kind sometimes, but she wasn't afraid to be firm and confident when it was needed. She was also very smart, and had assisted him with his family issues more than once, so it didn't surprise him that she didn't pry any further than necessary. Kyoko smiled lightly, and the next person to speak was none other than Leon Kuwata, who was sitting right next to Sayaka, still whispering with Junko and giggling.

"The fireworks this year are gonna be so cool, guys! But since we're gonna be here for a while before it's time for us to walk there, why don't we play a game?"

"A game? How childish can you be?" Byakuya said snidely, shaking his head and smirking to himself. Toko was nodding furiously, going along with whatever he was saying.

"Come on, Byakuya, it'll be fun. You should get that stick out of your ass." Leon snickered lightly, earning a stutter from Byakuya and an eye roll, but he didn't say anything else. "If you guys don't have any board games, we should try truth or dare!"

"Oh, you want a challenge, huh?" Mondo smirked, and Leon laughed.

"You're damn right." Leon replied, and Sayaka and Junko turned towards Leon.

"If it's nothing _too_ extreme, I'm in." Junko said, and turned back to Sayaka, who nodded excitedly.

"It'll be fun! I didn't play it in a while."

"Sounds cool! Right Sakura?" Hina nudged Sakura with her elbow, and she smiled.

"It's a new adventure, I'm up for it."

"It'll be exciting!" Chihiro said, his face a sneaky grin. "I think we'll have a lot of fun!"

"Well, whaddya think, Taka?" Mondo asked Taka, who looked at him.

"Well, as long as nothing's dangerous, I don't see why not."

The room let out a sound of excitement, everyone prepared to play truth or dare. Byakuya just sighed and readjusted his position, giving into the game. Toko did the same, her lips still sealed, but she was extremely close to Byakuya, who visibly sweated.

"Alright, let's get started!" Leon laughed, and pointed to Sayaka, next to him. "Sayaka, truth or dare?"

"Oh! Uhh, truth." Sayaka replied, rocking on her knees slightly, biting her lip, Junko grinning next to her.

"Okay, truth. What was the worst date we went on?"

Sayaka flushed. "You're gonna make me admit it? Where do I begin?" She joked, laughing. Everyone let out a slight chuckle, and she pondered for a second. "Remember that one time where we were supposed to go to a nice restaurant, but we were an hour late for our reservation?"

"How are you an hour late for a reservation?" Taka exclaimed. He never heard of people being that late to, well, anything before.

"We're singers, there are so many crowds. Alright... Go on.." Leon listened in, and he seemed to be smiling slightly.

"Well, when we were late and the waiter told us we couldn't eat there, we had to walk back all the way to your house in the now pouring rain, and every now and then some people would come up to us and they wouldn't leave us alone. The only good thing to come out of that was that we kissed in the rain, it was kinda romantic." Sayaka blushed and giggled as she finished her anecdote, and some awws were heard from others in the circle. Leon turned pink, laughing a little.

"Yeah, we should really use the car more." Leon replied before going in for a kiss, pecking Sayaka on the lips. She gasped, giving a half suppressed laugh, and they turned back to the circle.

Mondo smiled. They really were nice together, and Leon was a good guy to her despite being an ass every once in a while.

"Alright, Kyoko! Truth or dare?" Sayaka asked Kyoko, who perked up at the sound of her name.

"Hm. Truth." Kyoko said confidently.

"Okay. Hm! Do you like Makoto?"

 _Oohs_ and _aaahs_ were heard from the people in the circle, and it was one of the few times that Taka had seen her caught off guard, blushing deeply. A stutter was heard from Makoto, and he was red too, the two of them rigid.

"No! I-I do not. We are friends."

"Come on, you're about as believable as Taka and Mondo right now." Byakuya snickered, one of the few times he had engaged in conversation like this with his peers. Toko snickered,

" _What?"_ It was Taka's turn to be caught off guard, and he flushed slightly, hearing Mondo's breath hitch. "We _are_ friends! Y-You're wrong." He turned away, and he heard the room laugh. "We _are!"_

"Alright, enough of this." Kyoko said, clearing her throat. Taka was so thankful she stopped this conversation, it wasn't fun for the both of them. "Toko. Truth or dare."

Toko said nothing, still obeying Byakuya's orders.

"She can't talk." Byakuya said sternly, but Kyoko shook her head.

"Come on, we're playing a game. Let her speak just once." Kyoko seemingly ordered Byakuya, who scoffed.

"Fine. But you need to keep your mouth shut after this game." Byakuya replied, directing part of his sentence to Toko, who nodded quickly and opened her mouth, her face still red.

"Okay, Byakuya! I'll pick.. uh... truth." Byakuya rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time today.

"Okay. What is your favorite book?" Kyoko asked, and Toko's eyes lightened up.

"Oh, this is so easy! I-It's fifty shades of grey, of course!" Toko's eyes rolled back slightly and she giggled like a mad man, Byakuya having an expression of disgust on his face. "Everything about it is so g-good! The plot, the characters the s-se-"

"That's quite enough." Kyoko looked like she regretted asking Toko in the first place, and the room seemed to be sucked out of air.

"It was a mistake to let you open your mouth." Byakuya groaned, but he didn't stop her, and she looked down for a second before realizing it was her turn.

"Taka. Truth or dare?" Toko smiled devilishly, and she had something on her mind, but Taka couldn't quite make out what it was.

Taka noticed that nobody picked dare, and since he knew something dangerous wouldn't happen, he decided to take one for the team. What could go wrong?

Everything.

"Dare!" Taka's eyes glinted with excitement, and he shifted his position so he was more upright. Mondo raised an eyebrow next to him, it was unlike him to pick dare, but he was curious as to what Taka would do.

"I dare you to... _kiss Mondo!"_ Toko laughed erratically.

_"W-WHAT!?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER  
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! The next one?  
> O O H G O D


	19. The fourth of July

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Taka accept the dare?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> e  
> n  
> j  
> o  
> y  
> ;)

Taka was lost for words. He knew he wanted a dare, but one like _that?_

_That?_

_"THAT!?"_

Taka said his last thought out loud, and the whole room seemed to be filled with knowing smiles and chuckles. Leon was trying to keep in a laugh from escaping his lips, but it looked like he was about to explode. Everyone else was making audible _oohs_ and _aahs,_ even Byakuya couldn't help but grin slightly.

"W-What? You want me to ki.... kis.... kiss Mondo?" Taka couldn't stop stuttering whenever he said the word kiss, and he could sense that Mondo had stopped breathing next to him. His face was flushed a bright pink, and he kept on letting out broken sentences. "I-I.. We're just... Toko, that's..."

"Well, you asked for a dare. I was just doing my job!" Toko giggled devilishly and a sinister smile spread across her face. Byakuya looked at her.

"Okay, that's enough speaking for you, Toko." Byakuya said, and Toko instantly shut up, but she was still giggling and smiling. "Kiyotaka, you did ask for a dare, did you not? In that case, since you asked for one, you should have no problem doing what you were given." Byakuya seemed like he was having fun watching Taka being unable to speak.

"I.. I c-can't! You k-know we're j-just frien-"

"Just friends? That is the biggest lie I have ever heard, you guys clearly are not _just friends._ I hate to be the one to say it, but I'm sure everybody else here was practically just waiting for this situation to occur some time." Byakuya looked around the room, and everybody else nodded.

"Sorry guys, but he's kinda right. I mean, you've been all over each other since you became friends!" Hiro pointed out, and Taka looked away.

"I don't think friends is the right term." Kyoko said, and she appeared to be enjoying this too. Makoto, right next to her, seemed lost in thought. "I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if you guys were dating all along, your actions toward each other are rather warm, to say the least."

"Oh my god, this confirms that they did _it_ in the ferris wheel!" Hina laughed hysterically and practically fell over into Sakura's lap, who couldn't hold back a slight chuckle of her own. Meanwhile, Leon couldn't hold in his laugh anymore and had started cracking up, kneeling over on the floor, tears coming out of his eyes. He was holding his stomach, and it was like a cue for everyone else in the room to start laughing uncontrollably. 

"You guys have like _so_ much sexual tension, haha!" Junko giggled, and that seemed to suck all the air out of Taka's lungs.

"H-Huh!?"

As if on command, Taka and Mondo turned to each other, and Taka got a good look at how he looked.

Mondo looked to be just as nervous as Taka, and his face had a big blush spread across it. His eyes were looking directly into Taka's and they had a glint in them that Taka couldn't quite understand what it was about. Did he want to kiss Taka? Was he actually considering this? No, he couldn't be. It was all just in his head, maybe this was just a dream. Mondo appeared to be lost for words as well, and it was his turn to emit nervous noises.

"J-Junko, the hell? D-Don't say shit like that, we're just..."

Taka noticed that Mondo's face was incredibly close to his. He could hear his own heart beating in his chest, the blood pounding in his ears, the all too familiar sensation of feeling weightless, butterflies rising in his stomach. His abdomen heated up, his thighs shook, and he could hear Mondo's erratic breathing.

All the other noises of everyone else in the room drowned out, and Taka really felt like this was a dream now. He felt like he couldn't lean back, was Mondo's face _closer_ to his now? He smelled like pine, and Taka took him in, all of him. He was even closer now, and they were almost an inch apart, their noses almost touching.

"Just... friends..." That was the last thing Mondo could get out of his lips before he pressed them against Taka's, and the last thing that Taka heard before it happened was surprised screams coming from people in the circle.

The entire world flashed before his eyes, and a startled gasp came from Kiyotaka, his eyes wide open. But he closed them gently, taking in Mondo's kiss, and he buried his hands in his ponytail, pulling his hair slightly, feeling Mondo kiss him even deeper.

_Is this a dream? Am I really kissing Mondo? Am I really kissing my best friend?_

It felt like nothing else existed, just the feeling of Mondo's warm lips touching Taka's soft ones, and he could sense Mondo's hand come up to grab his chin, pulling him in deeper.

Was he kissing Mondo back? He didn't know at first, but he realized he was, and the heat in his stomach spread throughout his whole body as he grabbed Mondo's shoulders and gripped onto them for dear life, pulling him in closer and closer, feeling Mondo's arms travel across his waist and hold on to them tightly, hearing a groan come from the back of his throat.

The stars finally aligned, he was finally doing this, something he always wanted. Taka leaned back a little bit for air, but as soon as he took the first inhale, he dipped back into Mondo's lips and kissed him even deeper, his eyebrows furrowing. It was becoming heated, like nobody was even there. Taka couldn't help but let a slight moan escape his lips as Mondo squeezed his waist even tighter and started to make out with him.

He was on top of Mondo slightly, giving in to him fully, feeling his muscular hands travel across every inch of his soft skin. He wasn't just lightly kissing him anymore, he was full on making out with Mondo now. _Making out._

And he liked it.

Taka furrowed his brows and made Mondo surprised, slipping his tongue in gently, his hands wanting to hold every part of him. He was ignoring everything else, it was like they were alone. Like it was just them in their bed, like nobody was watching. Like their entire friend group wasn't right there, watching them make out right then and there on the living room floor, all over each other.

He was dreaming about this for so long, and it finally happened, he was finally kissing his best friend.

He was making out with his best friend. 

_In front of everybody._

As if something snapped inside of him, Taka instantly pulled back, and everything reverted back to normal. He actually kissed Mondo in front of everybody. Everybody! And he... liked it? He actually kissed him back? This wasn't supposed to happen, it couldn't happen, he didn't deserve this. He put a hand to his lips, and they still felt warm from Mondo's kiss. What did Mondo think of what just happened? Did he.. moan into the kiss?

He looked into Mondo's eyes, and Mondo was a bright red. His eyes were lidded, almost as if the moment was still happening. And his hands were still wrapped around Taka's waist. And Taka's hands were still gripping on to his shoulders. They looked down and realized they were holding each other, and pulled away, Taka climbing off of him.

"I..." Mondo seemed unable to get a word out, and he looked away, unable to meet Taka's gaze now. His jaw was clenched tightly, and he closed his eyes. Mondo turned away from Taka, as if it had never happened, as if he had never kissed Taka in the first place. And that made Taka's heart feel like it was torn.

"U-Uh..." Taka cleared his throat and took a good look around the room, and it was now dead silent. Nobody was talking, nobody was making a single noise. You could hear a pin drop. The silence seemed to be too loud, and Taka's head pounded. Everybody's jaws were agape, eyes widened, even Byakuya. Toko, who was told not to say anything, was also shocked. It was like they couldn't actually think it would happen. Did Toko really want them to kiss? Or was it just a way to get a few laughs out of everybody? 

"Did that... just happen?" Even Leon had stopped laughing, and his eyebrows were raised all the way up. Nobody seemed mad or disgusted to Taka's relief, but they all looked surprised. "We didn't think you guys would d-do it.." Leon said, and slight murmurs of agreement came from everybody, but no one else dared to speak.

"My fault. Stupid mistake." Mondo growled, and he refused to turn to Taka. Taka felt his stomach lurch forward. The moment seemed so magical, so amazing, so wonderful, and Mondo referred to it as a mistake? When he was the one that kissed him to begin with?

"M-Mistake? What do you mean?" Taka asked quietly, but his voice seemed to be very loud as nobody else was talking. "I thought it was..."

"We're just friends. It was a dare. You shouldn't think anything of it." Mondo didn't want to look into Taka's eyes, instead staring down at the floor, clenching and unclenching his fists, rocking back and forth slightly. "I didn't."

"But.." Taka's voice cracked slightly, and he looked at everyone else. Everyone seemed to be looking at him with sympathy in their eyes, almost like they felt bad for him. Mondo did it because it was a dare? But he grabbed his waist, his chin, and it seemed so real. It didn't feel like a dare kiss, something you do quickly and quietly. It felt like a kiss filled with passion, with love, with need.

"We literally _made out just now!"_

Taka almost screamed that last part, and he covered his mouth again, seeing Mondo jolt upwards and his back tense, feeling even more air being sucked out of the room if it was even possible.

But maybe it was just for the dare. Mondo's not somebody to chicken out of anything, no matter what the circumstances are. Does that include making out with your best friend?

"Okay. We're just friends."

Taka's breath hitched and tears pooled in his eyes. He couldn't help but feel one or two escape them and splash onto the floor, and he blinked the rest away.

He looked so pathetic right now probably. He just kissed his best friend and then started crying. The pairs of eyes that bored into him made him feel like exploding, but he avoided them all and looked up at the clock. A considerable amount of time had passed, and it was almost time to go to the park. But Taka couldn't stand staying here anymore.

"It's time to go to the park. Come on, everyone." Taka's voice was soft, and he stood up gently, everyone awkwardly following. Makoto put a hand on his back, but he shook it off and grabbed the cooler, hoisting it upwards. He felt a hand lift it with him, and it was Hiro, giving him a sympathetic smile. Taka looked away.

The air was thick with tension and he could feel Mondo's piercing gaze at the back of his head. Why was everybody feeling sorry for him? Nobody seemed to be looking at Mondo. At least, that was what Taka thought, until he looked back and noticed Hina talking to him softly. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but at this point, he could care less.

He opened the apartment door and was the first one out, assuring Hiro he could carry the cooler by himself. Everyone else filtered out of the room, and small conversation was made with the others. The hallway felt like it was going to explode with the level of tension it was out, and he could hear Leon whisper fighting with Toko, who had been allowed to speak again by Byakuya apparently.

He wanted to blow his brains out for the elevator ride, which could barely fit everybody in there. Byakuya seemed like he was in actual agony squeezed in with the rest of the group. Mondo was still talking to Hina, who seemed to be deep in thought, but they were whispering into each other's ears at this point. Hearing them was hopeless.

They all exited the apartment complex, and they all knew where the park was. So, they were going to walk there together. It would be too much of a hassle to carpool, since barely any of them had cars to begin with. The street was loud with celebrators and people talking from every corner, and gradually, conversation resumed with everyone else. Even Mondo was still talking with Hina, who was smiling awkwardly. But Taka just wanted to be alone. And alone he was, for the entire walk to the park.

He ignored the pain in his arm from the cooler.

~~~

They were at the park now, walking up to the field that surrounded the lake in the center. Soft grass covered the entire place, and it smelled like pine and cedar, relaxing Taka slightly. He had a lump in his throat for quite some time now that was just getting bigger whenever he looked back at Mondo. But Mondo never looked back at Taka, even though it was rather obvious that Taka was sneaking glances at him in the first place.

When they were all sitting down in the lawn and the cooler was open, everyone taking their share, Taka in the back. He wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone, even though multiple people had made the attempt to several times. Conversation was normal again for the most part. Taka heard his name and Mondo's a few times, and he was sure they were the main topic of discussion at the moment. He didn't take anything, and he secluded himself to the back of the grass, picking pieces of it out and throwing them behind his back.

It didn't feel like a friend kiss.

But it was?

Taka felt a tap on his shoulder and grumbled. He turned, preparing to tell the person off at this point because he wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody. 

It was Mondo.

All the air was sucked out of his lungs yet again, and the two just stared at each other for what felt like eternity. Taka refused to look at any other part of him besides his eyes. If he did, all the memories of their kissing would flood back into his brain, and that was the last thing he could have as of right now.

"Hi."

That one word came out of Mondo's lips, and he was leaning over slightly, standing in the grass, looking down at Kiyotaka. That one word confused him, and made him feel so many emotions at once, including anger. He could only say hi? After being the one who started making out with him in front of their entire class?

"Hi."

Taka replied, still looking into Mondo's eyes, which had an expression on them that he couldn't quite make out.

The tension lasted another ten seconds, ten seconds in which they didn't talk but instead stared into each other's eyes. And it felt even more awkward. Two people had started looking back at them, and it was Makoto and Kyoko. They each had a strawberry popsicle in their hands, and gave them a good look before turning back to each other and continuing their conversation, which Taka was sure was about him and Mondo. Great, just more problems. That was exactly what he needed.

"Could you come with me? I just need to talk to you." Mondo said, and he had a slight pleading look in his eyes. "Please?" It sounded like he was begging at this point, but his voice didn't have any cracks, and his face wasn't tearing up like Taka's had back at the apartment. 

"Fine." Taka stood up, wiping grass off his dress pants, and he readjusted the leather jacket he was wearing. The one Mondo had bought for him. He looked down at it and smiled slightly at the comfort it brought him. It really was a good jacket.

Mondo looked back at him before walking away, and it was clear that he wanted Taka to follow him. Taka groaned lightly and stomped after him, looking down at the grass and grumbling. He wasn't in the mood at all for any of this. He just wanted to be left alone. But maybe it wasn't that bad that Mondo was talking to him. They could get closure, assure that they were friends, and everything would go back to normal soon enough.

Mondo was waiting at the edge of the lake, watching the people on the other side set up fireworks, testing them. Their classmates were looking at them, trying to see what was happening. Taka was soon enough next to him, and he looked up into his eyes. Once again, they were staring at each other, and Mondo looked off, scratching the back of his head.

"Listen, dude, I'm fuckin' sorry for that. I shouldn't have kissed you or... or made out with you. I shouldn't have done that even though it was just for a dare, and I'm really sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything like that, you know? I don't want to ruin our friendship, but, I don't know..." Those words were spilling out of Mondo's mouth, but he trailed off at the end, wanting to say something else. "But... I just couldn't... I couldn't control myself."

'W-What?" Taka questioned, cocking his head to one side. "What do you mean, you couldn't control yourself?"

"I... I just... Okay, fuck it. I'm gonna tell you everything I've thought about you. For such a fucking long time. I can't hold back a-anymore. Just, please. Don't hate me?" Mondo pleaded at the last word, and he clasped his hands together, body shaking slightly. "Because. I-It's a lot. But you need to know why I kissed you like that."

Taka's mouth was open slightly, and he could feel more butterflies in his stomach as he heard Mondo speak. 

"I'll never hate you, Mondo." Taka said softly, brushing a hand across his shoulder before putting it back in his jacket's pocket. "Ever. Don't be afraid."

Mondo softened, and he turned pink, taking a deep breath in. This was going to be hard. But he had to do it. Eventually.

"Okay." Mondo shook, and his legs quivered. "I... I've always thought of you as more than just a friend. Ever since I first became your friend, there was just something about you that made me feel... different. I always felt... warm... whenever I was with you. You comforted me through my parent's shit and whenever I cried because of my brother. You were always there for me. You're such... a good person. Whenever you talk to me or touch me or spend time with me, I just feel so much better, like nothing could hurt me. You're like an angel."

Taka was lost for words. The breath had left his lungs and he felt his face turn crimson, but Mondo was far from done.

"You l-look like one too. You're s-so fuckin'... pretty." Mondo blushed deeply as he said that, but he tried to keep eye contact with Taka the entire time. "Y-You're beautiful. You're smart, and talented, and kind, and creative, and s-so fuckin' beautiful. A-And I'd always deny how I felt because I swore that we'd never be more, but when we moved in together, I just felt... more. And when we started s-sleeping together, w-well... I loved cuddling you. I loved you cuddling me. I loved feeling you a-against me. Jesus." Mondo was turning into a mess, his face getting even redder, watching Taka flush deeply at every word he spoke. And his hands slowly touched his waist, knocking the breath right out of Taka.

"When Toko dared you to kiss me, I thought it was my time. So I kissed y-you. And at that moment, I didn't give a shit that anyone was watching, I just loved kissing... you. It was a fuckin' dream come true. But you broke away from it, so I thought you didn't like it. I thought I f-fucked up." Mondo's voice began to crack, and he looked down, but he had to continue. He breathed in and out heavily for a few seconds, preparing himself. "But... I loved making out with you. I loved it."

Taka was sure that he was dreaming. Was this even happening? His best friend was confessing to him, holding him?

"And... fuck, well... I love you. I love you more than anything else in the world, Kiyotaka Ishimaru!"

Mondo yelled that last part out loud, the birds on the lake flying away, the entire class turning towards them and watching them, Taka staring into his eyes.

"And I can't keep it inside m-me, so, well, uh... You don't need to feel the same. But you really did need to know it. I can't s-stand being your fucking friend anymore!" And tears escaped his eyes and ran down his cheeks. "I need you!"

Taka was rigid. He was stone, but he felt so fuzzy as Mondo's muscular hands touched him, and everything else became blurry except Mondo's face. The world faded out again, and the blood rushed to his head and his ears and his face, and he was crimson. He loved him? Mondo loved him? This... can't be happening.

But since Mondo told him how he felt, he thought it was only right that he returned the favor. Taka wrapped his arms around Mondo's neck, staring into his lavender eyes with love, getting closer and closer and closer, hearing Mondo completely stop breathing.

"Do you remember when I told you about my fight with Celeste? And we talked about the man I loved."

"Y-Yeah?" Mondo's voice was now a slight whisper, and he had a look of pure love on his face.

"It's you."

That was the last thing Mondo heard Taka say before he pulled him into the deepest kiss ever, hugging him tightly. And Mondo stopped dead in his tracks for a second. But he picked up Kiyotaka and lifted him in the air, caressing and holding his beautiful body, making out with him right next to the glimmering lake, the entire class staring at him. 

And everybody started cheering, and it felt even more surreal.

They broke the kiss, and Taka was still in the air, staring into Mondo's eyes, and they started laughing. Laughing with such joy and happiness, smiling with such love. Tears of happiness ran down their faces and glimmered in the light, and they went back into the kiss. Mondo hugged Taka even tighter, and Taka buried his hands in Mondo's ponytail, curling his toes.

"YES!"

Leon screamed, and everyone else started laughing. Sayaka whooped, and Junko cheered, and Makoto and Kyoko waved their popsicles in the air and hurrahed, Kyoko with a face of triumph. The class watched the silhouettes of Mondo and Taka, and even Byakuya started smiling, Toko doing just the same.

Just when it couldn't get any better, just when Mondo and Taka thought that this was the peak of their lives, the first firework exploded.

And the next.

And more.

And even more.

Until Taka and Mondo were holding each other, smiling and crying with joy, kissing each other sweetly, hands venturing over each other, the fourth of July basking them in such grace and light.

And they shined as bright as stars.

And Taka looked back into Mondo's eyes and broke the kiss, and Mondo was shimmering, and Taka was glimmering.

"I love you, Mondo Owada."

"I fuckin' adore you, Taka."

And they kissed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT  
> HAPPENED  
> YES  
> I loved writing this part! It was so beautiful and amazing and I just AGH I LOVED IT  
> Thank you guys soooo much for reading, and chapter 20 will be amazing, trust me <3


	20. Returning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Taka returns to work. he's greeted with Celeste. But something takes him over, something he never felt before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I was thinking of how to plan it out, and I decided on this route. Hope you all enjoy!  
> Some making out at beginning, no sex though, so not complete NSFW.

The kiss underneath the fireworks felt like the most magical moment in the world to Mondo. Every little issue he ever had had immediately dissipated when his lips pressed against Taka's. Sure, they kissed for the dare, but this one just felt more... real. More loveable. Like it could never ever end. That day would forever be marked in Mondo's heart as the best day ever, and Taka felt the exact same. It was a miracle, Mondo thought, and maybe the dare did bring them two together in the first place after all.

Mondo had to thank Toko.

They had made out, laughed, and cried during most of the fireworks, their class supporting them the whole way through.

And Mondo couldn't stop saying how much he had loved Kiyotaka. Taka couldn't stop saying how much he had loved Mondo. And each second felt better than the last.

When they had finished kissing, they had laid in the field together for the remainder of the fireworks, feeling so unbothered by anything else in the world. The only thing that mattered to them was each other, and they even managed to ignore Leon going around telling everybody "I told you so".

After the fireworks had ended, they were the first ones to go back to their apartment. Taka had forgotten the cooler, but it could matter less to him as of right now. All he wanted and needed was Mondo.

"Oh, going back so soon?" Byakuya had questioned when Taka waved goodbye. "I'm suspecting something." He grinned knowingly, and Leon laughed next to him. "Anyways, I suppose I should congratulate you for your relationship. But it was not a surprise. I hope you two have.... _fun."_

"Shut it, Togami." Mondo had replied, but he had a hint of a smile in his voice.

Now, in Mondo's bed together, Taka was nuzzling into Mondo's pecs, the blanket covering both of them. The noises of other fireworks and celebrators as well as cicadas filled the room, and it felt even more magical. Every now and then, Taka would lift his head up and the two would kiss lightly, Mondo running his fingers through Taka's black hair.

"You're really pretty. Did I ever tell you that?" Mondo whispered when their lips separated, watching Taka flush. "Maybe I did, but I'll say it again. You're really fuckin' pretty."

Taka's face turned pink, and a slight smile spread across his face.

"You're really handsome!" He giggled, seeing Mondo's eyebrows sprout up. "Incredibly handsome." Taka rubbed his nose against Mondo's, and he grinned. This felt surreal. In the morning, he was talking to Taka just as friends, and this was out of the question. Never would he have imagined that that same night, he would be kissing him in their bed while complimenting each other.

"Cutie." Mondo said softly. "I swear, I could watch you forever." Mondo slowly grabbed his chin and leaned in, kissing him passionately. Taka let out a soft exclaim, putting his arms around Mondo's neck and returning the kiss. They started making out, gradually getting more heated as time went on. After a minute or so, Mondo slowly lifted himself so he was on top of Taka, holding his hands while their lips clashed together.

"Wait. We just... started this... right? Maybe we're going too fast?" Mondo remarked, letting Kiyotaka know that he cared about him. "I don't wanna make you uncomfortable?"

"N-No, we're fine. It's j-just kissing. I... I like it." Taka flushed, and Mondo smiled lightly, going back into Taka's lips. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears, kissing him deeply before deciding to trail down to his chin, then his neck and collar, eyes concentrated on Taka's face.

"Mnh!" Taka squeaked, the new feeling sending various sensations throughout his body, and he shuddered slightly.

Mondo started to leave light pink hickeys on his skin, biting them lightly before moving on to the next one, marking Taka's porcelain neck in love bites. The entire time, Taka had his hands buried in Mondo’s hair, wrapping his legs around his torso, crying out. The moonlight made Mondo's lavender eyes glimmer, and Taka couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful he looked, and how much his insides heated up at every kiss.

When Mondo hit a particularly sensitive spot, he earned a rather feminine moan from the boy beneath him, and Taka’s hands clenched onto Mondo’s hair even tighter. Mondo grunted slightly from the light pain, but he kind of liked it. It struck Mondo as pleasurable to have his hair pulled, especially by Taka.

Mondo kissed his neck once more before pulling away, looking at Taka. He was moaning softly, eyes fluttering, and put his hands on Mondo's shoulders as if to signal that he wanted more, his breathing irregular and his lips parted. 

Mondo saw that his neck had light pink bruises on it, and he realized that he did that to him. Mondo wondered how Taka would react in the morning when he saw his marked neck. But Mondo liked it. It let him remember that Taka was his.

Mondo grabbed the covers behind him and pulled them over him and Taka, warming the two of them even more, and then went back in to Taka's neck. Taka’s eyes closed again and his hands left Mondo’s hair, traveling to other parts of his body. 

"A-Ah!" Taka keened softly as Mondo's hot lips traveled across his skin, and he bit his lip. "O-Oh, Mondo, p-please... haah..." His breathing was heavy, and he felt the familiar sensation of his abdomen heating up, curling his toes slightly. "I... I love you."

Mondo's lips left his skin, and he stared into Taka's eyes, glimmering in the afterglow.

"I love you too." Mondo replied, holding his face and kissing Taka deeply, a hint of roughness in it. Taka moaned lightly and kissed back, his hands adventuring over Mondo's body before resting on his ass. But Mondo didn't do anything except groan appreciatively. 

They were making out on the bed, Mondo gripping the sheets, Taka whining every time Mondo pulled away for breath. It felt like heaven, him and Taka finally doing this. It was almost a dream, the way Taka moaned out loud, or the way he said his name. And to think they were just friends at 6 AM today.

Mondo attacked his neck again with a rougher approach, and Taka’s eyes rolled back for a split second.

“G-God! Mondo, a-ahh!” A part of Taka wondered if all of this was too early, but as long as they weren’t having actual sex just yet, it was okay. He liked being kissed like this anyways.

Mondo’s hot tongue traveled along the bites he had left before, licking and revisiting them. Taka twitched at every suck on his neck that was made, his eyes glazing over with pleasure.

Moondo could feel himself harden, and Taka cried out unexpectedly when it brushed against his thigh. 

"O-Oh..." Taka's face grew red as he realized that Mondo had a boner, and Mondo's cheeks heated up in embarrassment. He slowly backed away from Taka’s neck.

"Mondo, I'm f-flattered... but... we might be venturing into this territory too soon. Sexual intercourse is something that experienced couples should partake in, and we just started dating."

"What?" Mondo spluttered. "I-I'm sorry, I can't control it. But I'm not trying to fuck you or anything, you know?" He laughed nervously, and slowly climbed off of Taka before lying down next to him, trying to hide his increasing arousal.

"Wait, we're dating?"

"Y-Yeah, are we not? Because I don't think friends do all of this." Taka smiled slightly. "And I know you can't control it. Let's take our time, though. I liked what you did just now.” He put his lips on Mondo's lightly, and snuggled into his pecs, feeling rather drowsy all of a sudden. "I love you."

Mondo felt so happy that he was officially dating Taka, he could now call him his boyfriend. This was something he wanted for so long, and now that he was actually experiencing it, it felt surreal. He put an arm around Taka and grinned, closing his eyes. "I love ya too, Taka. Goodnight."

And he felt rest overcome him, the feeling of Taka's warm body nuzzling against him.

~~~

"Get uuuppppp!"

Taka shook Mondo forcefully, a hint of a snicker in his voice.

"Come on, I'm leaving for work soon! You've been sleeping in all morning."

Mondo opened his eyes slowly, looking up at Ishimaru. 

He had his work outfit on. It was a white dress shirt, black dress pants, his usual boots, and his hair was combed back. It was the usual getup he had, but it was more fancy in a way. Mondo smiled drowsily at Taka, still half awake.

"You look cute." He said softly, and Taka blushed lightly. "C'mon, just stay here with me? Who cares about that bitch at work anyways?" Mondo put a hand on the back of Taka's head, pulling him in, and kissed him softly. Taka returned the kiss, and they made out softly, Mondo on the bed. When Taka pulled away, Mondo noticed a small hickey right below his jaw, and he smirked. "You've got something on your neck."

Taka looked caught offguard, and sighed loudly.

"Seriously? I thought my shirt covered it! I'm going to be late if I spend any more time trying to hide them." Taka looked away, his face pink. "I still need money. And I'm kinda locked in anyways. But I have money to spare for a taxi now, so I just wanted to wake you in advance." Taka said when he pulled away, looking into Mondo's tired eyes. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

"I'm gonna miss you a lot." Mondo whined sleepily, patting Taka's head. "Tell me if she does anything else, ok? I'll do something about it."

Taka smiled softly. "Thank you for caring about me, Mondo, but I can take care of myself. I'm sure she won't do anything, I'm just going to ignore her." Taka kissed Mondo lightly on the lips, and a spark was sent throughout his stomach as Mondo kissed back. It still felt unreal, how now he was _dating_ Mondo. It was a dream come true, that's for sure, and it made him so happy. Mondo couldn't believe it either, and he still acted all lovey even though he was super tired.

"Okay, but you gotta tell me, baby." Mondo whispered, and Taka flushed. Baby? That was a new word. Taka supposed that he liked it, though, and responded by leaning in and stealing one more kiss from Mondo before standing upwards. 

"I will. I'll text you when I'm on my way home! Bye!" Taka grinned and turned to the door, opening it and waving one last time before shutting the bedroom door behind him, fastening his dress shirt collar and taking his bag. When Mondo heard the door shut, he stretched and groaned loudly before turning over, pulling the blanket over him. He felt so tired after the events of yesterday, and the thought of making out with Taka like that sent shivers through his body. Taka was wearing a shirt that covered all the bites Mondo had left on him except for one that peeked out. But it wasn't too obvious, nobody would notice anyways.

Mondo was surprised that the day wasn't a dream. He went from friends to lovers with his best friend in the span of one day, and the last thing he would've expected was to be making out with him in the late night, fireworks still ringing in their ears. But he wasn't complaining. He remembered the arousal he had gotten, and he sighed, burying his face in the pillow beneath him. 

Maybe they did move too fast, all that kissing was rather quick to begin with, but Taka said he liked it. Mondo did enjoy it as well, but he knew they wouldn't be having any sex for some time. He couldn't object, and he knew that they were already advancing quickly, so he wondered how long it would be before it happened.

"I should just go back to bed." Mondo sighed, and nuzzled his face into the pillow, closing his eyes again. The sun coated his shirtless body, and he felt the light warm him as he drifted back off to sleep. He didn't want to eat, as he didn't feel hungry to begin with. Just sleeping while thinking of when he would hold Taka would be enough to satisfy him.

Meanwhile, Taka had left the taxi after about ten minutes, recoiling slightly when he had entered the building. He wasn't looking forward to seeing Celeste, but as he just had to come in to arrange some new programs, it shouldn't be too long for him. He hadn't invited Celeste over, doubting she would have accepted the invite anyways, so he hoped that she hadn't found out about the party one way or another. But he remembered everyone saying they wouldn't tell anyone, so she must have been included in that.

He gripped the bag tightly, and the handle felt white hot in his hand when he opened the center's door, seeing Celeste sitting down. She had the same outfit as usual, but she looked much more... tense. Almost like something was at the back of her mind for some time. She was turned to the left, looking at the computer in front of her, clicking frantically and typing. For somebody who didn't want to be a receptionist, she sure seemed into the gig.

"Hello, Kiyotaka." Celeste said coldly. She had greeted him, but she didn't look happy at all. It didn't really surprise him though, as he had assumed she'd despised him for some time.

"Hi." Taka replied timidly, trying to avoid Celeste. He walked straight forward and into the hallway, entering his desk and opening the computer already set there for him. He had a task on the top right of the computer, and it gave him instructions on what to prepare. Taka stood, dusted his hands, and got to work.

There were a lot of people in the center, but nobody was absent, so Taka didn't need to fill in for anybody. He noticed some of his co workers staring at him oddly, and that confused him. He never made the effort to speak with any of them, so he couldn't understand why they were all looking at him weirdly. But he brushed it off, and started to re arrange the binders that were misplaced before going back to the computer, beginning to type in new dates and times for the programs that the center was setting up for other towns.

He was editing the website, and was in the middle of typing the locations for one of the meetings when he felt a tap on his shoulder. The finger was long and slender, and just as Taka suspected, it was Celeste.

"What is it?" Taka asked, not in the mood to be yelled at more. But he tried to remain calm, and sat rigidly in his seat as Celeste's piercing gaze stared straight into him.

"Please. Come with me." Celeste ordered, her accent sickly sweet. When Taka stood up, all the other workers were watching him, and he began to think something was wrong. Why was everybody looking at him like that? Like he had done something bad? Whatever it was, it wasn't good, and he began to suspect that it was Celeste's doing. She led him to the break room at the other side of the room, which had nobody in it. She locked the door behind her, closing the blinds on the window that revealed them to everyone else.

"What do you want, Celeste. I don't feel like being yelled at." He groaned, trying to remain confident.

"Yelled at? No, I'm not going to yell at you, we would be heard!" Celeste giggled, and that made Taka wonder if she had originally wanted to yell. "I just wanted to... inform you on your relationship with Mondo, no?"

"W-What?" Taka was taken aback. How did Celeste know? As far as he had known, Celeste wasn't there at all, so how could she have found out? "How did you find out about that? W-Who told you?" He stuttered, and Celeste's eyes seemed to stab him. But she remained still, watching Taka intently.

"It doesn't matter who told me. It matters that you know that you're exposed. Everybody here knows." Celeste snickered, and Taka felt the blood drain from his face, unable to speak. "I found out through my own methods, and well, it wasn't that much of a shock to me. Everyone here knows about your thing with Mondo, after all, cause I had to inform them! I didn't mean anything bad by it, right? I just figured that if we're going to be working together, we should know everything about each other, right?"

Taka didn't move. He just stood there, noises coming from the back of his throat. How could she know about this? How could everyone here know? Is that why they all stared at him?

"Well, you said you loved him, and then you two kissed at the fireworks. I should've known, I was there." Celeste sighed, toying with her black drills. "You seem to forget that I like to watch those fireworks too, right?" She questioned him, and her finger was all in his face, her own twisting into a grimace. "So, you're a thing with him now, right?"

Taka shivered as she grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him in, growling in his face. 

"You should realize that you've made a big mistake, Ishimaru. He doesn't deserve somebody like you. So I wouldn't be surprised if you're manipulating him into all of this after all." Celeste's face grew cold, and she had that familiar look that Taka had seen when she yelled at him a while back. "You're just controlling him." 

"I'm not. Shut up." Taka grumbled, and he seemed to catch her off guard.

"Oh, you're going to tell me to shut up? You really _shouldn't_ do that. You have no idea who I am, right? My name is..."

She took both of his hands and held them tightly.

"Celestia Ludenberg, _goddamnit!"_

And in the blink of an eye, Taka couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't handle being talked to like this, being considered that he was _manipulating_ Mondo? When he'd never done something remotely as bad? He didn't deserve to be treated like this, and rage bubbled up in his stomach. His thighs shook, and Celeste's face changed from angry to... scared. Taka could feel his face heat up, and he raised a hand absentmindedly.

He slapped Celeste across the face.

His hair was white hot, and a flame escaped his eye as he growled, the force of the slap making Celeste stagger back, clutching her cheek. A red mark had appeared on her face, and she teared up slightly, shaking.

"Y-You... You stupid little... How dare you?" Celeste's voice raised to a screech. "H-How.. _dare you?"_

Taka was sure that Celeste could be heard, but he didn't care anymore. He could feel rage overcoming him, and he picked up Celeste by the collar and slammed her into the wall, staring at her with eyes full of anger and hate. He hated her. He hated Celeste more than anything in the entire world right now, and he ignored her chokes as he pressed her into the wall.

"Listen here, _bitch."_ Taka yelled in Celeste's face, surprising the both of them. He never cursed. Unless he was extremely angry.

So this warranted a curse or two.

"I've just about had it with your stupid incessant bickering. You sound like a pig. Either you shut the hell up, and leave me and Mondo alone, or I'll deck you so hard you'll be seeing stars until you turn _fifty!"_ He held her up against the wall, and she started shaking, her eyes watering. A tear or two ran down her cheeks, and she seemed so scared of Taka, at how much he had changed. How was he capable of becoming this?

"L-Let me go!" Celeste cried, and she put her hands against Taka's chest, squeezing her eyes shut, sniffling. "Please! I-I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!" She started to tear up, and she shook with fear as Taka dropped her onto the floor. She laid there, hands in her face, crying. A part of Taka felt sorry for her, sorry at how hateful she could be, but he was too pissed to feel remorse right now. He stood in front of her, his hair glowing white, red flames spurting out of his eyes.

"Stay away from me." Taka threatened. He opened the door and rushed out, feeling everyone staring at him, slamming the break room door behind him. 

When he picked up his bag and shut the laptop, everyone's eyes were on him, the sniffling of Celeste muted by the door closed behind her. So much rage took him over, and he didn't even care about what he had done to Celeste. He wouldn't let anybody ruin his relationship with Mondo.

Anybody.

Because he loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the ending wasn't too rushed, but I think it was only right to introduce Ishida sometime soon.  
> This ending will have consequences, I wonder what'll happen to Taka after he slapped Celeste?  
> Looks like you'll have to stay tuned to find out!


	21. True Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka comes home to a surprise, but is hit with sadness instead. Mondo comforts him throughout it, and makes him realize just how loved he really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm very sorry about my inactiveness, I've been very busy lately with my music and returning to school and I am currently out of state, but I worked hard on this chapter so I hope you guys aren’t too mad with me haha! Enjoy this chapter bye!  
> Slight angst

_whathaveidonewhathaveidonewhathaveidone_

Thoughts of regret, panic, and guilt wouldn't stop tearing through Taka's brain as he stumbled down the apartment hallway, tears in his eyes. He was repeatedly wiping his hands on his pants, as if to try to cleanse the slap he had given Celeste not too long ago. But one main thing wouldn't leave his head.

_Why did I do that?_

It had felt like a rush of sudden emotions, and it was almost as if he couldn't control it. He felt... different... when that had occurred. When he had slapped Celeste and pinned her against the wall. It was like something else took him over, so much anger and hate.

He knew he couldn't be fired, at least Celeste had made it clear that he was locked in the job. But what would she do? Would she just leave him alone? Would she make his work life a living hell? It was a huge mistake to do that to her. Taka never resorted to violence no matter what, but when Celeste said that he could be manipulating Mondo, so much anger entered him.

He wasn’t manipulating Mondo. He would never do anything like that. He loved him too much to hurt him in any capacity, so for Celeste to even consider that he might be pulling some strings made him furious. What would Celeste do? Would she tell everybody? 

No, she was at fault. She had to be. She was the one who provoked Kiyotaka in the first place, the one who had done that to begin with, and the possibility of her spreading the truth was extremely unlikely.

Still, he couldn't even believe it.

He hit somebody.

Taka couldn't remember the last time he was that angry, if he ever was that angry at all. He felt like there was rot growing in him and spreading throughout his joints, infecting him with malice and hate, and the grimacing feeling of bitterness. 

As far as physical stuff went, he had never even thought of touching somebody. He was too scared to throw dodgeballs at others in fear of breaking somebody's bones during gym, and now he slapped someone and pinned them against the wall without any hesitation. He regretted it. The white hot feeling of the impact against Celeste's cheek still lingered on his palm, and he sweated in fear when he stood in front of the apartment door.

What would Mondo think?

He would hate him. He knew he would. Mondo knew who Taka was, he knew that he was never one to resort to violence in any way, shape, or form. So if he found out that Taka had slapped and pinned Celeste, it would all be over for him. The bond they were just forming as lovers would shatter instantly. His life would be ruined again.

Tears flooded his eyes and escaped his waterlines, trailing down his cheeks, and he shakily reached a hand into his pocket to take his keys out. His hands brushed against his phone, which he noticed was buzzing frantically, and a rock dropped in his stomach as he took out the phone.

There weren't any texts from anybody except one person.

Celeste.

His finger quivered on top of the screen as he swiped upwards, unlocking his phone with his face ID and entering the messages. There were so many unread texts from Celeste, angry sentences that seemed to let out rage through the phone screen.

_do you even realize what you've done_

_i will ruin your entire life_

_how dare you touch me_

_you're never going to be normal again_

_HELLO_

_HELLO???_

_are you GOING TO ANSWER ME????_

_OR ARE YOU GOING TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF???_

_fine_

_you won this time_

_ok???????_

_but watch out for your own sake_

_and your stupid boyfriend's too._

The last text had a period at the end, and that sent another shiver through Taka's spine. He knew that that was a threat, and what did she exactly mean by that?

Would she hurt them? Would she hurt Mondo?

No, she couldn't. She would be caught. She couldn't tell anybody either because she would have to explain how she got the job and why Taka was there, and namely, how the entire situation had started in the first place. Still, he knew that it wasn't good. He knew that he would be punished sooner or later. There were always consequences for your actions.

He just hoped Mondo didn't know.

He placed the phone back in his pocket, his palm slick with sweat, and he jingled the keys towards the door, shakily placing them in the lock and turning it. The door clicked softly and opened, and Taka noticed that the apartment was a lot different from how it usually was. And by that, he meant everything.

It smelled like cinammon, the slight spice wafting through the air, and the lights were dimmed so the living room was glowing. The entire place had a lowly atmosphere to it, with soft musky undertones. It was silent, but not the excruciating silence that made you uncomfortable. It had a nice calm quietness to it, like it was rather inviting almost. He noticed that there were rose petals scattered around the floor, and he smiled lightly. 

"Mondo?"

Taka brought a hand to his cheeks, wiping away the tears that were dripping down his face, and he took a step into the apartment. He noticed a figure in the kitchen next to him, and the smell of chicken met his nostrils. He was probably too early.

The figure jumped and turned around, and he heard a sigh come from it, along with a voice that was all too familiar.

"Damnit, I should've been quicker."

"So you did do this?"

Taka giggled slightly, and he felt much happier already. It made him a lot more calm, and he almost forgot about the entire situation that had happened earlier today. He knew he could count on Mondo to cheer him up whenever he was down.

Mondo nodded, and flipped the switch to his left slightly so that it was a little brighter, and Taka could now make out his face a lot clearer. He noticed that his hair was in a messy ponytail, the bleached curls running down the side of his face, and it looked like he took a shower some time earlier.

"Guilty." He smiled softly, and he turned off the stove. "I just started cooking it anyway, so you didn't miss much. But you're home earlier than expected." He stepped towards Kiyotaka who had a flush spread across his cheeks, and he looked down, trying to hide the remaining tears on his face. But Mondo could sense the sadness leaking out of him. "Hey, you okay? Did something happen?"

Mondo brushed a hand across the top of his head and pulled him in so he was looking straight down at Ishimaru, who could feel more hot tears forming in his eyes. He looked away, desperate to seem normal, but Mondo grabbed his chin and gently brought his lips to his own.

When they pulled away, Taka had his hands on Mondo's shoulders, and he was visibly crying. He couldn't help feeling like this, he didn't deserve this. He had just hurt somebody and now he was getting treatment like everything was okay? It wasn't okay. He wasn't okay. He regretted everything, and he shouldn't have even tried to take the job in the beginning.

All of this is his fault.

His fault.

_My fault._

_All of this is my fault._

_"All of this is my fault!"_

And before Taka knew it, he crumpled to his knees, unable to control the sobs coming out of his throat, tears pouring down his face. He shook uncontrollably on the floor, his cries rattling his bones. Everything he felt that entire day came out, he couldn't take anything anymore, and he started screaming and crying loudly, pounding his fists against the ground in agony and sadness.

Mondo was shocked, he had no idea what had happened. He bent down quickly, concern spreading across his face, and he tried to grab Taka's shoulders to pull him back up. But Taka just sunk deeper into the ground, his sad screams echoing throughout the building, all the guilt and anger spreading throughout every part of him. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve Mondo.

"What the fuck happened? Are you okay? Shit, please Taka, tell me something!" Mondo's voice cracked as he desperately tried to lift the crying raven haired boy who was shaking on the floor, grabbing his waist and jerking him upwards so he could see into his tear filled eyes. "Did Celeste do something? She did, didn't she? What did she fucking do?" Mondo's voice was filled with worry and he tried to hold back his own forming tears, but Taka just shook his head and cried even louder. When he spoke, it sounded like he was breaking every second.

"I-I've b-been mani.... manipulating... you... M-Mondo! S-She said that I... I've been using y-you! A-And I... I..." The last sentence was begging to escape his throat, he had to admit the awful thing he had done, before it was too late, and he tried to get it out as clear as he could. "I hit her! I h-hit her, Mondo! I'm a monster! Do you hear me? A MONSTER!"

Mondo's breath hitched in his throat when Taka screamed those words, his fists shaking at his sides, tears coating his pale face. The hiccups from the smaller man echoed throughout the room, and he wanted nothing more than to disappear right then and there. Maybe then all his problems would be solved.

He swore that Mondo wouldn't say anything, that he would just pack up and leave right then and there, and Taka wouldn't blame him. But he was mistaken.

"No, you're not."

Taka stopped hiccuping at those words, sniffling slightly, and he shakily raised his head so he stared into Mondo's lavender eyes.

"W-What? Didn't you hear m-me? I-"

"You hit her."

Mondo uttered those words sternly, but he didn't seem upset, instead firm.

"You hit her. It wasn't the best option. But you were constantly being tormented by her. It couldn't have gone on much longer, you're not able to handle all of that. I know you're upset. You did something that wasn't right." Mondo gently put a hand on Taka's chin, lifting his face, looking deep into the ruby red eyes that he loved so fucking much.

"But you're not a monster. I love you." 

And with that, Mondo gently pushed his lips onto Taka's, tasting the saltiness of the tears, and he wrapped his arms around Taka's waist. Taka shuddered and sniffled more, but he shakily returned the gesture, closing his eyes and sharing a passionate kiss with his boyfriend.

Mondo kissed him lightly once more before pulling away, looking at Taka's fluttering eyelashes with teardrops sparkling in them, and he smiled softly.

"Don't you ever forget that."

Taka truly felt lost for words. He had hit someone, he had regretted it, he had hated every minute, but he was forgiven by the man that he loved so much. He knew he would never want to do it again, he knew he would never be able to do it again, the only thing he wanted to do so far was stay in Mondo's grasp forever.

"Thank you." Taka whimpered, his voice an octave higher, and he leaned into Mondo's shoulder, sniffling lightly. Mondo pet his hair, whispering sweet nothings into his boyfriend's ear, letting him know that he loved him forever and always. The cinammon smell engulfed them, and Taka felt warmth course throughout his body when the atmosphere of the room returned to his brain. He pulled away, his hands traveling down Mondo's torso, and the familiar need entered his stomach.

"Baby..." Mondo whispered lowly, his eyes lidded, staring lovingly into Taka's eyes. His one hand that rested on Taka's shoulder slowly left it, massaging his arm, and the hand that was on his chin trailed down his soft milky pale jawline. They just caressed each other's bodies for a minute or two, sighing passionately, before Taka shakily reached a hand to unbutton his shirt.

He felt so overcome by emotions, he didn't even know what he wanted anymore, he didn't even know what he was doing. He knew this was all too early, but he didn't care. Right now, Taka needed one way to forget about the incident today, and he didn't care how much it hurt.

"Taka... I..." Mondo said slowly, a blush rushing across his face as he saw Taka trying to take off his clothes. Taka gently unbuttoned the first four buttons before feeling more tears rush down his face, and he angrily ripped the other buttons off, hearing them clatter to the floor, but he couldn't care less. He threw his shirt off, the anger and guilty lust taking him over, and he hastily pulled off his undershirt.

Mondo's eyes widened in concern as he saw Taka shaking, and he placed hands on the bare shoulders in front of him, but another pair rushed to his chest before then and pushed him back so his back was against the kitchen counter. 

"Taka, whaddya-"

"Please, I just need to f-forget about today. I don't care i-if it h-hurts... I want you t-to feel good... So just..." Taka's voice cracked and he brought a hand to his pants, pulling them down, leaving him standing in his boxers shaking. He didn't even know if he wanted this anymore, he just wanted to do something else to get rid of the growing agony in his brain, and he was about to pull his boxers down when a pair of strong hands grabbed his wrists.

"Don't do this, please. Don't try to have pity sex with me." Mondo pleaded sadly, staring into his tear filled eyes. "I love you more than anything, I'm not going to do stuff with you when you don't even want it yourself." Mondo's grasp on Taka's wrist was firm, and his eyes began to water, unable to hold back the pressure. "I'm going to have sex with you when you are in your right mind, comfortable, and ready. Not like this."

Taka shuddered and he looked down, more tears escaping his hot eyes, his face burning. He sobbed silently, realizing just how much Mondo really cared about him, how he didn't try to have sex with him when he wasn't stable. 

"I-I...." Taka said quietly, and he shook. "I'm so sorry, Mondo! I-I love you!" He cried out, wrapping his arms around his muscular boyfriend's waist, and he stared quivering again, tearing up into the crook of Mondo's neck, soaking the tan skin with his tears. "I... I'm sorry!"

Mondo closed his eyes and sniffed, remaining strong, and he hugged his lover tightly, massaging his warm back, feeling the cool sweat run down the pale skin. He loved him more than anything, and he knew he wasn't going to take advantage of him to do something that would bring nothing but pain. After all, neither of them were ready.

When Taka pulled away, Mondo smiled softly, and he wanted to spend the night with the man he loved so much.

"Wanna go to bed early with me, honey?" He asked sweetly, gently petting the back of his black hair. Taka's eyes glistened with tears, and he nodded softly, feeling the chill overcome him in the apartment. "I love you so fucking much, Taka, always remember that, okay?"

Kiyotaka moved his head up and down, and he smiled happily. 

"I love you too, Mondo."

And before they knew it, Taka was tucked into the soft warm bed, Mondo holding his warm milky smooth waist, kissing his forehead passionately. Oh, how he loved him so much. How he wanted to do this every night, and say nothing except how much he admired every part of him. How much he wanted to caress Mondo's face and sigh softly.

Mondo's hot hands traveled across Taka's chest, feeling every inch of the warm skin beneath him, and he spread small kisses all over his boyfriend's face, making sure to love every single inch of the smaller man's beautiful body. Taka had his eyes closed, soft exclaims escaping his throat, and he had one arm around Mondo's neck.

“I really do love you, Mondo. I’m sorry.” 

Mondo looked at Taka with a happy smile, and he leaned in for a slight kiss before backing away and speaking softly. 

“You don’t need to keep saying sorry, I’ll love you no matter what. I always will.” 

“I love you too, Mondo.” 

And with that, Taka snuggled into Mondo’s pectoral muscle, sighing lightly, relaxing his body. The muscular hand on his back tightened and pulled him in closer, and he heard one last thing before he was pulled into a peaceful warm slumber. 

“You’re my one true love.”


	22. Preparations~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka and Mondo decide to book a trip for the two of them. But they get a little carried away in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING  
> This chapter will contain NSFW stuff! This will have blowjobs and grinding, so if you are uncomfortable with reading that, feel free to skip!  
> For those of you who choose to stay, I hope you like my second attempt at writing some smut for my two favorite boys.  
> Enjoy!  
> BTW You might notice that my Ishimondo oneshots story is gone, I have deleted it because they were just my bad old story imports from wattpad and I’m trying to write better, so my apologies if you enjoyed them. I will probably be releasing another oneshot book but with better writing.

The day had started just like any other, with Kiyotaka waking up before his boyfriend and gently shaking him so he rose from his sleep as well. The sunlight filtered through the blinds, and it was five in the morning. The two of them got a lot of sleep due to going to bed early, the reason why Taka had woken up at five. But he didn't mind. If anything, it would be an even more productive day for him.

But they hadn't left the bed, the opposite from what Taka had planned, because the two of them were kissing each other lightly while Taka's head was resting into his muscular boyfriend's shoulder. A warm laptop sat on Mondo's lap, and a website was open, something that Taka had suggested when they had first woke up.

"I want to go somewhere else." Taka had said when his boyfriend's thick dark lashes fluttered open, and he was met with a drowsy whine.

"Isn't here with me good enough?" Mondo had questioned, moving his head so their noses were almost touching. He put a hand in Taka's raven hair, stroking it slightly, making him smile.

"It is, but I want to go somewhere else with you." Taka replied, and the thought of going on a vacation with just Mondo alone had made him feel so many new sensations course throughout his body. After yesterday's set of events, spending another second at his job or at his apartment made him almost sick. He read over the contract a few times ever since he had got his job, and apparently he was still allowed for ten vacation days a year. That was enough for him to spend with Mondo. 

"Is that so?" Mondo had chuckled, and he leaned in to steal a kiss from the cherry lips in front of his own. "Well, then. I don't see why not, hm?" His boyfriend flushed pink at the touches that he had given to his cheeks and throat, spreading love to each inch of skin, and they had made out passionately for a minute or two before Taka left to retrieve his laptop.

Now, back to the two of them cuddling and kissing while they were scrolling through web pages, with Taka exclaiming softly every now and then whenever Mondo decided to slightly kiss his neck. They were looking for options that weren't too expensive, but were also enjoyable.

"Maybe we can just stay at a hotel for a little, right? Walk around, explore, get away? This seems nice." Taka was talking to Mondo whose eyes were half lidded as he spread kisses across his boyfriends shoulder before looking up at him. He nodded softly, and turned back to the laptop which he hadn't looked at for most of the time they were together.

"Oh, that looks good." Mondo said absentmindedly, and brought his lips back to Kiyotaka's soft, slightly bruised neck, drowsily brushing his lips over the pale skin. Taka had a crimson staining his face the entire time, and he sighed, relaxing into the pillow that was on his back. This really was amazing. Maybe this could be their vacation instead?

"It's a hotel that has a bunch of grounds for activities. A pool, a hiking trail, restaurants, it has a lot of stuff." Taka scrolled through the site, looking at the options. "And the rooms are good deals, actually. It's only one hundred extra for a hot tub!" That had surprised Taka, and the reviews were all extremely positive.

Mondo's head perked up at that statement, and he grinned slyly. "I wouldn't mind being in a hot tub with your beautiful ass." He whispered, seeing Taka's cheeks brighten slightly.

"W-Well, we'll have all the time for that if we get this one. I've got enough money for it now. And my parents actually gave me some more money in my account, I guess they saw I was kinda struggling." Taka was grateful that he was able to get money, from his job and his family, which left him with more than enough to go on a getaway with his beloved.

"Hell yeah. I'll be free any day, cause I kinda ain't got much to do." Mondo groaned. He had always been concerned with what he would do once he graduated high school. Being a gang leader and still in school had a lot of downsides, and he knew it would affect his college. "Ya know, I might consider leaving the gang. It's great and all, but, ya know, I can't go on forever. I wanna be a carpenter."

Taka smiled lightly, and he leaned in to brush his lips over Mondo's chapped ones, nodding his head. "You did tell me about that before. I think you'd be a great carpenter. Don't give up."

Mondo felt his stomach spark. His boyfriend encouraging him always gave him so much strength, and it never hurt to listen to him. He grinned heartily and readjusted himself so he was sitting more upright, giving more attention to the bright screen in front of his eyes.

"Thank you, baby."

And they kissed once more, but it was more passionate. Their lips locked fully and Taka trailed his hands down Mondo's tan waist, a white tank top blocking the skin that he wanted to caress and touch so badly. He felt fingers grab his chin, pulling him in deeper, and the laptop slid off their laps and landed on the white sheets near the edge of the bed.

It was about to fall off when Mondo noticed it and a gasp escaped his throat. He lunged forward and reached for it, clutching it by the top, his muscular fingers grasping the very edge of the screen. His fingertips turned white as he held on to the laptop, placing it back on the bed. He hadn't paid attention to his other hand, and a soft _thunk_ sound emitted from his right, followed by a startled choke. 

He looked back to Kiyotaka, and flushed as he realized that in his attempt to grab the laptop, his right hand had somewhat wrapped itself around Taka's throat, and pinned him to the headboard. Taka's face was now a bright red, his lips slightly parted, but he didn't say anything and just breathed in and out rather raggedly.

"Shit, I..." Mondo trailed off, and loosened his grip, but he didn't completely remove his hand. If Taka really wanted to get Mondo’s hand off of him, he could have done so easily. But he stayed there, letting Mondo hold him up against the headboard.

He realized that Taka was rather, _attractive,_ with a hand around his throat. The slightly open lips, the widened eyes, the red spreading across his face, the light choke coming from his throat, and the deep breathing all sent mixed signals throughout his brain. He swore he could look at him forever. But then he remembered that he was probably staring too long at this rather lewd sight, and he removed his hand shakily. "Sorry, m-man."

Taka still didn't say anything, and his head was still against the headboard even though there was nothing keeping him there anymore. His hands flexed near his waist and he still had the blush across his face, and for a while they just breathed deeply at each other until Taka suddenly lifted his head. 

“I-It’s fine. Let’s just continue.” It was clear he wanted to brush it off, but his thighs quivered slightly, the same familiar feeling going throughout his stomach. Did he like it? No, no, no! He didn’t, because this wasn’t something for the Ultimate Moral Compass to enjoy. All it was was an accident. That’s it. 

When they got themselves situated so they were back in the positions that they were in before, whenever Mondo kissed Taka, his breath grew slightly deeper. And the feeling of strangeness continued, echoing throughout every one of his joints, setting them on fire, and he wasn’t even aware that he was still speaking until he had decided on a room with Mondo and was already pressing the _book_ button, assuring him that he had aplenty amount of funds to get it. 

The entire time they were talking while going back to kissing lightly, Taka couldn’t stop thinking about the imprint of Mondo’s muscular fingers wrapped around his throat.

He had booked the room with his debit card that he had placed on the nightstand in Mondo’s room when he had returned with the laptop earlier, placing it down, wincing slightly at the cost. But he would make it back soon, and it was worth it in the end if he could spend some time with Mondo. 

They were going to have to drive there. It was too far for one thing and they also had to bring luggage, so they decided to ask if Leon could drive them. Neither of them had a car, but they knew that Leon would be able to accommodate them, considering that he didn’t have a concert for some time.

While Mondo was pulling out his phone to text Leon for the favor, Taka smirked to himself when he overlooked the order again. 

He decided to pay the extra hundred.

~~~  
  


They were leaving tomorrow and coming back in three days, or on a wednesday. The hotel was about an hour and a half drive away, but Leon gladly agreed to take them, refusing any payment. 

“Come on, I gotta be the wingman for my two bro’s!” He had said over the phone, laughing to himself. Taka had stuttered aimlessly while Mondo had smiled appreciatively. 

Taka knew he still had to inform his work that he was leaving, but he felt too sick to go back and tell Celeste in person. The best thing to do was to send her an email, and he wondered if he should overlook everything that he had did yesterday. 

He decided on doing just that, knowing that bringing up the subject would make things even worse for the two of them. All he could hope for was that Celeste would just keep her mouth shut and not bother him anymore. She did seem intimated by his actions, and while Taka felt even more guilt rush through him, at least she looked like she wouldn’t say anything else to him. That was one upside, he supposed. 

He already had the email written out completely, and was hovering his mouse over the send button. Taka was holding Mondo’s hand and quivering slightly, and Mondo squeezed his fingers. He could sense negativity in his boyfriend’s heart, so he leaned in and pecked his lips. Taka smiled softly, and leaned in, overlooking the paragraph one more time.

_Dear Celestia,_

_Hello. I am going to be going on a vacation leave, and I will be using four days out of the ten that I was given for the year. The contract that was issued still says that I can have vacation days. I have checked it more times that necessary, so there will be no need for any extra worries._

_Hope you are doing well,_

_Kiyotaka Ishimaru._

He sighed, nuzzling the back of his head into Mondo’s shoulder, and closed his eyes as he pressed the send button. The swoosh sound effect emitted from the laptop, and he reopened his eyes, the notification popping up in his inbox.

_Your email has been sent._

Taka shakily inhaled, and felt his body tense, but he calmed when a hand touched his shoulder. A low warm voice followed it. 

“You’ll be fine. Just think of the next few days, kay?” Mondo smiled softly, and leaned in for another kiss, his lips lightly brushing against Taka’s before pushing in further. Taka relaxed his muscles, kissing him back, putting a hand on his head. His hair was in another ponytail, and Taka loved it. It gave him something to grip onto whenever they made out.

Mondo gently ran his hands through Taka’s hair while they kissed, Taka’s stomach flaring up as hands caressed his hair. Whenever they had kissed, he had felt something in him, but this time it felt like less of a spark and more like an urge. Something he wanted desperately. 

Whenever their lips brushed over each other’s, Taka’s need for Mondo only grew, and he wanted to slip his tongue in. So he did just that, trying to get more out of the kiss they were sharing, and he heard Mondo exclaim. But he didn’t object, instead holding on tighter to Kiyotaka’s raven hair, and he put his chin between his thumb and his index finger. 

Taka gasped lightly when he felt the familiar set of fingers on his face, and he screwed his eyes shut, the burning feeling in his abdomen continuing to grow. He tried to ignore it, but at the same time he couldn’t. The animalistic needs were only growing more and more, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before it became rather obvious how desperate he was. 

Taka didn’t even realize that he had his hands pushed up against the wall, practically pinning Mondo to the cold plaster, until Mondo had pulled away. His face was burning red, and a slight line of saliva connected their lips, their breathing heavy and irregular. 

“Shit, where did you get this confidence?” Mondo panted, his hands still in Taka’s hair. “I... I kinda like it.”

Taka flushed, his eyes darting around every part of Mondo’s muscular body, looking at his abs that were pressed against his flimsy white tank top, yearning to feel more. He gently put his hands on the bottom of the tank top, and began riding it up, fully aware just how desperate he sounded. 

Mondo raised an eyebrow and grinned, deciding to put a hand on his tank top and fully take it off, assisting Taka in the process. He was shirtless and just in a pair of shorts now, and his breath was ragged. 

Taka froze as he stared at every inch of Mondo’s tan skin, taking in all of it, slowly putting a hand on his stomach. He could feel his own heart beating frantically in his chest, about to burst out at any moment, and he whined when he felt his hardness brush against Mondo’s thigh.

“I...” Taka spluttered, startled that he realized that Mondo had felt his boner touch his leg, and he whimpered in anticipation and embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, Mondo, I-“

”It’s fine.” Mondo growled, and he pulled him in for a kiss, running his hands over the back of Taka’s undershirt, tugging gently at the seams that were around his neck. Taka sighed into the kiss, gently caressing Mondo’s muscular chest, running his hands over his pectorals before bringing a hand to one of his nipples and twisting it gently. Mondo groaned softly, tightening his grip on Taka’s shirt, and it was clear that he wanted to take it off.

As if Taka could read his mind, he complied, putting a hand on the edge of his undershirt and hastily pulling it off, it lying forgotten on the floor where he had thrown it. Now the both of them were shirtless, and Taka realized that Mondo also had a growing issue. 

“Shit, I....” Mondo trailed off, pulling away from Taka’s lips, panting desperately. His eyes were lidded and his thick dark lashes fluttered, redness spreading over every inch of his skin. 

“Mondo, it would only be fair if I...” Taka stopped dead in his tracks as he unexpectedly ground his hips against Mondo’s, groaning softly, their erections rocking against each other. “Haah...” 

“Fuck! Y-You’re gonna do that, hm?” Mondo sighed in exasperation and neediness, wrapping his hands around Taka’s warm bare waist. “Would you like it if I did this, then?” 

And with that, Mondo bucked his hips up, feeling the friction increase. Their shorts brushed against each other, and Taka cried out in pleasure when he felt a spark being sent throughout his abdomen, feeling his cock heat up. 

“Y-Yes...” He breathed into Mondo’s neck, burying his face in the tan soft skin, moaning lightly at the new sensation. A pair of strong hands gripped onto his hips, and he heard a pleased sigh come from the biker in front of him. 

“Shit, you have such nice fuckin’ hips, Taka.” He growled, moving his hands up and down the sides of them. “I’ve always wanted to do this.” His fingers grabbed onto Taka’s ass and slowly massaged into the flesh, smirking as Taka gasped, sighing softly. 

Mondo’s hands travelled across Taka’s ass, groaning appreciatively, bucking his hips up so that their dicks were rubbing against each other again. The friction kept on increasing, and the fabric only added to the sensation. 

Taka leaned in even more, moaning lightly, crying out for more whenever he felt Mondo roughly grind against his crotch, their groins never ceasing contact. The muscular fingers gripped his ass, feeling every part of it, and he pulled his head away to stare lovingly in Mondo’s eyes.

”Fuck...” Mondo breathily moaned, the tightness in his shorts only increasing, and while he looked extremely lustful, he had a slight worried look in his eyes. “Taka... I don’t want this to be like yesterday. If this is too... early for you, just tell me.” 

“No, I...” Taka trailed off, but he shook his head softly. “I do want it. I... I know i do.”

Mondo exhaled softly and drew Taka back in for a kiss, bucking his hips up again, grinding against his crotch while making out with his soft lips. Taka cried out again, slightly scratching his fingers into Mondo’s back, leaving perfect little grooves in his spine. They pressed their boners up against each other, rubbing continuously, feeling the friction take over the both of them. 

Taka could feel himself grow white hot, and the pounding feeling in his ears only grew more as Mondo continued to rock his hips against Taka’s, his breathing growing even more heavy. Taka let out broken moans in Mondo’s ear, crying out in pleasure and desperation, and just when he felt that he was going to reach his limit, Mondo pulled his hips away. 

“W-What? What was that for?” Taka whined, and he tried to push himself down to be able to climax, but Mondo pulled away again.

”Don’t make a mess in yer pants.” He growled lowly, and he gently placed a hand on Taka’s boxers. He looked up into Taka’s eyes, filled with lust, and he smiled softly. “Could I? I just wanna... test something.” 

Taka was still for a few seconds before nodding silently, feeling even more sparks echo throughout his abdomen, and he shuddered as Mondo hooked a finger underneath the waistband of his shorts and his boxers, pulling them down at the same time. 

He was fully exposed to his boyfriend, and for a moment he just stood there in silence, Mondo staring right at his hard length. Taka had half a mind to apologize profusely and pull his undergarments back up before he felt a warm hand touch his member. He whimpered slightly, placing either of his hands on Mondo’s hips, looking down at him. 

“Mondo, p-please..” He begged with such an extreme level of desperation, and he could feel himself melt into Mondo’s strong muscular grip. “I.... I need you... I need you so bad!” 

Mondo gazed up into Taka’s eyes lustfully, and he licked his chapped lips, gently running his fingers over Taka’s rock hard dick. 

”Then I’ll take you.” 

And with that, Mondo opened his mouth, gently sliding Taka’s tip into it, and Taka cried out at the new sensation. Mondo’s mouth was so wet and warm, and he could feel his tongue sliding around the head of his cock before going down even further. 

Mondo screwed his eyes shut and gently placed a hand on Taka’s base, reaching the halfway point before he felt a gag about to leave the back of his throat. He was unable to take Taka’s entire length, but he used his hand to take care of the part that couldn’t have his mouth on it. 

Mondo slowly opened his eyes, and he stared into Taka’s as he began bobbing his head, keeping a rhythm, slowly moving Taka’s cock in and out of his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the head whenever his mouth was near the end, and ran it over the underside of the shaft when he pulled himself back in.

He could feel Taka shudder above him, moans and whines escaping his mouth that he didn’t even know he could make. Taka tried to keep his hips steady, but he involuntarily bucked them forward when Mondo gave him a particularly rough lick near the base. 

A gag emitted Mondo’s throat, and Taka was scared that he had hurt him. He was about to say something but it was wiped from his mind when Mondo moaned on his cock, sending vibrations throughout his member, making his brain buzz with ecstasy.

He ran his hand over the part that he couldn’t satisfy, his saliva slicking up the end of his cock, running his tongue over the veins that stuck out at the sides of his dick. The warm skin felt nice in his mouth, and Mondo hollowed his cheeks so it would be even tighter for his boyfriend. 

Taka groaned out loud at the sensation of Mondo’s mouth tightening, and he placed a shaky hand on Mondo’s ponytail, gripping onto the bleached curls with such ferocity. Mondo choked lightly but he didn’t object, liking the feeling of his hair being pulled by Taka.

Taka slowly pushed his head down a little further, trying to experience even more, and he almost screamed when Mondo swirled his tongue around the base of his shaft, feeling saliva drip down onto his lap. Taka could feel the same need enter his stomach yet again, his member pulsating more at every suck that he received from his boyfriend. 

Mondo’s saliva coated every part of Taka’s dick, and he screwed his eyes shut, trying to take every part of Taka’s cock inside his throat. Mascara ran down his face, a result of his makeup that he forgot to take off from yesterday, and he looked incredibly sexy in Kiyotaka’s eyes. 

”G-God! Mondo, I... I’m gonna...” He could feel the familiar sensation of pleasure rush throughout his stomach all over again, the pressure building up near the end of his cock, twitching inside Mondo’s throat. 

Mondo looked up again into Taka’s eyes, and Taka was mesmerized by the mess that was on his face. Tears had started to come from his eyes, and they were mixing with saliva that was around his mouth and dripping down his chin, his thick mascara running down the sides of his face. Mondo could taste the saltiness of the precum at the back of his throat, and he could sense that his boyfriend was close.

Mondo sucked and slurped on Taka’s dick, going down even more, trying to get all of Taka in him, not caring how much he gagged and choked. Saliva ran down his chin, but the messiness didn’t bother him, and every now and then he would moan slightly to make Taka feel even more sensations rising inside of him. 

Taka’s vision blurred and his head felt white hot. He threw his head back and let out a loud moan - no - a loud scream, feeling himself erupt, seeing stars as he climaxed inside Mondo’s throat, ropes of cum leaving the tip of his cock and spreading throughout his mouth.

Mondo pushed himself all the way onto Taka’s dick, gagging roughly, and he could feel stickiness coat the back of his throat. He stayed there for a few seconds while Taka finished, and then pulled out, licking his tip slightly until Taka groaned from the overstimulation. Mondo swallowed roughly, clearing his throat. 

Taka shook and shuddered above Mondo, sweat dripping down his forehead, feeling the aftermath of his climax take him over. This was the second time he had experienced this feeling, and it was even better than the last now that Mondo was the one who made him do it. 

He panted, biting his knuckles, looking down into Mondo’s messy face, coated with a thick layer of blush, all messed up with spit, cum, tears, and mascara.

”I..” Taka was now lost for words, all he could focus on was Mondo’s beautiful face, his messed up hair still gripped in one of Taka’s hands, and his own heart threatening to burst out of his sweaty chest. “That was...”

”Amazing?” Mondo questioned, smiling lightly. He cleared his throat once more, tracing a finger over Taka’s saliva coated cock. “I’m glad, baby.”

”Y-Yeah... Thank you.” Taka closed his eyes once more and just breathed in for a few more seconds before suddenly opening them, realizing that there was a massive amount of saliva all over his dick and parts of his thighs, as well as on Mondo’s chest and face. “This is such a mess, Mondo! Please, we need to clean you up! And all of this.” He quivered lightly at the feeling of Mondo removing his hand, spit all over his fingers and palm. 

“Alright, alright.” Mondo smiled softly, and he wiped his mouth, surprised by the amount of spit that was left on his arm. “Shit, I really did do a lot, heh.” 

Taka flushed once more, slowly stepping off the bed, shuddering as he felt the cold wood touch the heels of his bare feet. He helped Mondo up off the bed as well, and pecked him on the forehead, the only place that wasn’t coated with any bodily fluids. 

And with that, Taka brought Mondo to the bathroom, slowly wiping his face with a washcloth, making sure to completely clean every area before wiping down his own cock and thighs. He realized that he had left Mondo in pleasured, however, and he lifted his head up nervously to ask him.

”Mondo, I didn’t give you anything in return. Would you like-“

”Nah, I’m fine. I kinda jacked myself off while I was sucking you anyway, heh.” Mondo chuckled lightly, and Taka looked down to see that Mondo’s shorts were halfway down, like he had pulled them up hastily. A slight white liquid was on parts of his shorts, and Taka raised an eyebrow when he noticed it, realizing that Mondo had probably climaxed as well. If they were both satisfied in the end, however, that was okay. 

“Oh, okay.” Taka nodded, and he leaned in to kiss Mondo on the lips, happy that they were completely clear of all the fluids from earlier. Mondo returned the kiss, his jaw slightly tired from all the activity from earlier, but he still made an effort to brush his lips over Taka’s.

“I fuckin’ love ya, Taka.” Mondo grinned sheepishly, and Taka smiled softly when Mondo uttered those words. 

“I love you too, Mondo.” He replied, leaning in for another kiss, but not before Mondo said one more sentence. One that made him excited all over again. 

“I’m sure as hell excited for the hot tub.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, was that a ride!  
> I hope you guys liked my second smut chapter, I’m trying to update more frequently as a make up for those eight days that I went without posting, but I hope you guys aren’t too mad, haha! I just wanna say also that I’m so thankful for the fact that we are almost at 200 kudos! Seriously, I never expected to get this much support for a story that I wrote, and I am eternally grateful to every single one of you.  
> Hope you’re all staying safe, and have an amazing day! :)


	23. Leaving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mondo and Taka start packing for the trip. Leon tags along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for the wait! I've been busy lately as my school has started back up, and trust me when I say I'm trying to update as frequently as possible. And I'm also sorry if this seemed rushed, I tried to write the best given my circumstances.

"The hell was that for?"

The apartment was filled to the brim with giggles and raucous laughter as a roll of toilet paper hit Mondo square on the back of the head. They had a friend come over to help them pack, and they had decided to chuck some toiletries at the back of the biker’s head. They being Leon Kuwata. Taka was fine just packing the clothing, on the other hand.

”Come on man, it was funny!” 

Leon Kuwata was laughing uncontrollably, holding a hand over his mouth in a flimsy attempt to cover his snickers. Even Taka, who was in the process of packing his shirts, couldn’t help suppress a giggle.

“You too?” Mondo whined on purpose, and Taka turned around and shot him a sympathetic look. 

“Come on Mondo, you know I don’t mean anything bad. It was sort of amusing.” He smirked, turning his head back to the suitcase, and was about to put the rest of the shirts in there when he heard a surprising sentence come from Mondo.

”Yeah, yesterday was amusing too, heh.” The words had a slight flirty edge to them, and Taka knew that Mondo was referring to the activities... that they had done yesterday. 

He felt a red dust his cheeks and he straightened his back, unable to speak. Taka turned around slowly, leaving the shirts on the floor where they were folded neatly, and Leon was looking between the two of them with an agape jaw and rising eyebrows.

”You guys...” 

“Just be quiet, please?” Taka spat out, and he bent over to continue packing the assortment of clothing they had picked out for the trip ahead. 

It was six AM, the day after that incident had occurred, and now they were packing for the trip today. The driving would be about two hours, so Mondo and Taka had offered to pay Leon. But Leon turned it down of course. After all, what friend needs money for something? That’s what he had said. 

Warm sunlight spilled out of the window and coated the living room and the kitchen, which were both very tidy. The fridge was almost completely cleaned out, because Taka didn’t want anything to spoil, so they just had yogurt and cheese sticks left in there. And Mondo ate about half of them within the last hour. 

“You’ve got to stop taking all of them, Mondo!” Taka complained as he noticed Mondo get up and waltz over to the fridge with a pep in his step. But Mondo just looked back at him and grinned slyly, opening the fridge door tauntingly. Taka rolled his eyes and went back to the luggage, hearing Leon laugh behind him.

”Come on, I’m hungry.” 

“Yeah, I can see that.” 

That had earned a whine from the biker, which just made Taka roll his eyes even more. But that behavior evaporated when Leon opened his mouth. 

“So, what did you guys do yesterday?” The question seemed innocent enough with an outside glance, but a closer look and it was clear that he was tantalizing the couple. Who very clearly knew exactly what they had done yesterday. 

Mondo's face flushed and he looked away, shaking his hands hurriedly.

"I dunno what the hell you're thinking, man, but... it's nothing."

But Leon seemed persistent, and he elbowed Mondo in his torso, grinning knowingly.

"Nah, it's something."

Taka looked over and he felt red stain his own cheeks. Shuffling the white shirt in his fingers, he looked down at his feet and decided to say something. After all, Mondo probably wouldn't be the best at denying that they had sex. 

Was it really sex? Mondo had given him fellatio, which Taka thought was extremely unsanitary. But he didn't mind when he had gotten it from _him._ But was he still a virgin? Was it considered sex? Taka really didn't know what to think anymore, but he dismissed those thoughts from his brain as he spoke.

"No, Leon, we never did any inappropriate activities. Not at all! For you to think that is extremely beneath you!" Taka practically changed those words and pumped his fist slightly in the air, and Mondo smiled at how bold he had said that.

Leon raised an eyebrow and he sighed, scratching the back of his head. A small smile was still faded onto his face, as if he knew what they had really done. But Taka was glad that the subject was dropped. At least for now. The thought of him having sexual intercourse and it being discussed by some of his closest friends bothered him. Obviously.

Leon looked up at the clock that was resting on the wall in front of him, and his eyes scanned the two hands. His eyes widened in realization all of a sudden, and he stood up, hastily taking his hands out of his jean pockets, littered with coins.

"Ah, shit man, it's a quarter to seven. We gotta leave soon. Let me start the car, kay?" He flashed a thumbs up which was accompanied with a grin, and he pulled his phone out of one of his pockets, scrolling through something as he opened the door and almost bolted down the hallway.

Taka raised an eyebrow and looked at Mondo quizzically, who also seemed rather confused. How suddenly did that happen?

"We... We don't leave until eight, do we?" Taka questioned, and he had just wondered if Leon had messed up time. It wouldn't be a surprise.

As if his mind was read, Mondo shook his head and chuckled. "That guy loses track of time way too fuckin' much. We're fine."

"But now we have to finish everything on our own!" Taka exclaimed, and that had earned a groan out of Mondo, who almost fell into the suitcase.

"God dammit. You think this was a way of him getting out of doing the work? I'll fuckin' talk to him." Mondo scratched the back of his head and stood up, dusting off his pants, but a hand on his arm stopped him from walking any further.

"Don't get upset. It's probably nothing. Besides, we don't have that much left over, right?" He smiled, and Mondo turned to him, grabbing both of his hands rather quickly in his own.

"But didn't ya just say that we had to finish _everything_ on our own? Or are you trying to keep me here with you?" His voice sounded like it lowered a tad, and that made Taka's face turn all red yet again. He looked down, a nervous smile on his face, trying to hide the blush staining his cheeks.

"Maybe. But you’ll never know.” Taka smiled, but he let out a shaky gasp as Mondo decided to slowly brush his finger across the underside of his jawline. “M-Mondo.. What are you-“

He was cut off as Mondo pressed his lips to his, kissing him deeply, wrapping his arms around his waist. Their lips clashed and Taka whined slightly as he felt a pair of hands grope his ass. 

Taka pulled away, even redder than before, and he was a stuttering mess, fingers grasping at air now.

”Mondo! Leon could come back any second! We shouldn’t... well...”

“Well what?” Mondo sniggered, teasing his flushing boyfriend. 

“Never mind.”

And Taka pushed his lips against Mondo’s and the two of them fell to the ground. His hands were tugging at his shirt, and before he knew it, the two of them were shirtless, making out on the floor as their hands roamed across each other’s bodies. 

And then they heard the door open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so so sorry that this was short! I needed to get a new update out for you guys but it’s been almost impossible to write with my recent life. I’m sorry that it’s not as long as it usually is, but i’m going to make it up to you guys soon!   
> Stay safe!


	24. An Update.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just an update.

This book is NOT cancelled.   
I am so sorry for all my inactivity lately, ever since my school started back up again i’ve been so busy and I haven’t had any time to write. Also I had no motivation.  
Truth is, I have no idea where to make this fic go. I know I want to still continue updating it because it’s unfair how long I’ve made you guys wait. But I’m not going to just disappear for months without so much as a single word.   
This will be updated soon. I have had a chapter that has been in the works for some time, but my stupid ass closed out of the tab and AO3 has no auto save feature so almost an entire hour of writing was wasted. I’m left with one half of an unfinished chapter that, honestly, I’m not proud with.   
I’ve also had a lot of shit go on lately with my life, and writing is something that has been hard for me. You can see that I’ve written stuff since I stopped updating for this, but I just wanted to get something out. Those are quite old.   
That being said, please, do not be discouraged by me. I’ve had a lot of stuff happen to me recently, but mark my words. I am going nowhere.  
I will make sure to get out a chapter as soon as I can, please just bear with me. You have the right to be upset, I’m sorry, but trust me when I am trying. It’s hard to maintain a relationship, a stressful school life, and a book all at the same time.  
If you want to connect with me to get more information first hand, I have several media’s that you can talk to me on.   
Instagram: ishimarueditz  
Tumblr: theishimarukinnie   
Youtube: ishimondo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-lkU45m-Ew-j3SRaZ3Y3dw  
I make edits on my youtube and I haven’t given up those yet, so I hope you guys can check that out as well. Please don’t hesitate to talk to me personally if you want to understand more. I’m on a bad case of writers block, so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I’ll also make sure to tag you.  
I don’t want to seem lazy. That’s very unlike me. I will post updates on my other media every now and then, and mark my words, I will never give up  
this book. Consider me Kaito Momota, luminary of the stars, cause I’m confident as hell!  
That being said, have an amazing day, stay safe, and I hope you come back soon for the next chapter of Friendship is Hopeful.   
Kind regards,   
V.A.


	25. Mountaintops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They take a break on the mountains, and Mondo decides to play a game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so SO sorry for the wait! I will try my best to continue to update consistently, don't give up hope yet! My previous chapter explains why I've been gone, but I still put effort into this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it!

“Wow, how horny can you two get sometimes?” 

Taka’s head jerked upward at the remark, and he stumbled off of his boyfriend, who still had his hands outstretched stupidly. He could feel the heat already pricking at his collarbone, and Mondo seemed to be in the same predicament.

“L-Leon!” A wave of embarrassment flooded throughout his brain. How could have he been so stupid? To let himself get ahead like that and try to something on the floor? 

Like that? Even though they did do something yesterday, they weren’t anywhere near that territory. He knew they weren’t. 

And he wanted to keep telling himself that despite the protection he had zipped inside of the suitcase not too long ago.

”Look, uh, it’s not what it looks like. I just...” Taka’s brain began to fry as he tried to search for a sustainable lie. “Tripped. And fell.”

Mondo jumped to his feet as well, and he nodded awkwardly, looking like he was spazzing out of control. "Yeah. On top of me, but it's okay, you know? Just a mistake. People make mistakes!"

Taka nodded in agreement, and they started talking at the same time, overlapping each other with words, their faces burning hot.

Laughing nervously, he decided to link his arm around Mondo's, and they pressed into each other. Everything became ten times more strange, and they were somewhat aware of it. Intertwining their hands, Taka lifted them up in a fist, exclaiming loudly.

"Yeah! Just a mistake."

"No need to worry!"

"Come on, what do you think we were doing?"

"I'd never do something like that, Leon!"

"Taka, what are you-"

Mondo was stuck there, dumbfounded, as Taka went off on a frenzied rant. Every sentence became even more high pitched, like he was trying to prove a point to no avail. He was so intent on getting his point across, and Taka ignored Mondo's questioning, lifting their hands even higher, watching Leon look like they had six heads, and he just stood there, looking like he was stuck between breaking out in laughter and being stuck in confusion. 

"Leon, you must know that we've never done anything bad at all! I've only kissed him, but nothing else. What do you think of me? I-I'd never do that! Never!" Taka seemed so confident but at the same time so nervous, trying to get Leon to understand the words that he had repeated about a thousand times at this point, and Mondo took his hand out of his. "Mondo! You can't really go along with him, r-right? Tell him we didn't do anything! We never did! And we never-"

"Dude, so what if we fucked?"

And then the room went silent, Taka just standing there, his hand still grasping at the empty air. A blush spread across his face rather quickly, and he looked down, spluttering with every word that he spoke.

"W-What? Y-You... We never... We never-"

"You guys, I could care less if you did anything!" Leon sniggered, and tried his best to remain calm, but Taka was challenging him to a certain extent. "I can't even ask anymore, so just try to bone at the hotel, kay?" Leon responded slowly, looking away to lean down and pick up the suitcases, ignoring the confused expressions that were plastered on the two of their faces. "We're going now, so help me pick these up. I can't be the Ultimate Weightlifter."

Taka smiled as his eyes lit up, seemingly ignoring the whole fiasco that had occurred. "Sakura fits that position! Well, she's the Ultimate Martial Artist, but don't you think she'd be good as that too? I mean, she's good at anything, really. I'm not strong."

Mondo snorted. "I've seen different."

"M-Mondo!' Taka groaned, his face turning red again, and Leon just stood there, basking in the air thick with tension. He didn't quite know which type of tension it was, though.

"Anyways, yeah, maybe we should've called her. Come on man, you can't even pick up that one stupid suitcase?" Laughing heartily, he reached a hand out to grasp the handle, lifting the suitcase all the way up. "Aoi's lucky she's always got a helper."

“Hey, you’re lucky I’m not too strong, or I’d have knocked ya flat on your ass by now!” Leon retorted, but there was a twinkle in his eyes as he spoke. 

“You’re lanky and all, but you’re still a good guy regardless.” Mondo smirked, and he smacked Leon on the back. Lurching forward slightly, a wheeze came out of the depths of his chest, almost like he was sucked out of a smoking ring. “Sakura would be great for this sorta thing.”

"You're correct, Mondo! Sakura is a great person, and she and Aoi are perfect for each other! I assume that they will always be together, well, that's how most relationships should go, you know?" Taka smiled sweetly again, and in an instant the room felt so light. More importantly, Mondo felt light.

“Yeah, she’s a great person, but don’t knock me out like that, damn.” Still coughing slightly, Leon rubbed the back of his neck roughly before tightening his grip on the suitcase below him. “You’re bigger than me, I get it.”

“Woah dude, do you hear what you sound like right now?” 

“Shut it, ass!”

More uproarious laughter filled the room, though most of it was from Mondo, smirking as Leon dejectly slumped downwards. 

“Well, Sakura and Aoi are perfect together.” Taka added, seemingly out of nowhere. Though Mondo wouldn’t doubt for a second that he was trying to avert the conversation to someone more wholesome. And he preferred that, because hearing Leon use double entendres without knowing the meanings wasn’t exactly a pleasant thing to be listening to.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Sakura tried to propose, or anything like that. You know, I’ve heard they’ve already got some stuff in the works. But it’s all from Sakura’s end.” Leon replied, finally straightening his back and turning to prepare to load the car with the suitcases. “But I’ll bet money that they’re gonna get married by the end of the year. That’s kinda my thing now, you know.” 

“Hm? What do you mean?” Taka questioned, and he zipped up the opened suitcase to his left, finishing the preparations. Hastily stuffing a sock back into the side of the suitcase, he looked to Leon, waiting for an answer. But Leon looked sheepish almost, like he was almost ashamed. 

“

“Well, uh, don’t tell anyone that you guys know this. Mostly because it was the biggest secret in the class, really.”

Mondo raised an eyebrow, and as if on queue, Leon continued. 

“We kinda started a whole betting pool for you guys, deciding if you’d get together or not. Mukuro and Hifumi were actually the only ones who didn’t bet on you guys getting together. Hifumi bitched about it going against the shit that he wrote before, but Mukuro just said she didn’t believe in class relationships. Despite her so obviously having the hots for Makoto.

“Obviously, we won. And damn, did I get my fair share. Hifumi has a lot of cash saved up from that sus shit he wrote before, but I wasn’t complaining. Actually, I got a new hip piercing with my earnings. Check it!”

Leon dropped the suitcases so suddenly that Taka flinched, and excitedly brought a hand to the edge of his white pants. Scrunching up the waistband of his jeans, he pulled them downwards slightly to reveal a shiny metal stud engulfed in pale skin, sparkling in the morning glow.

“You…” Taka felt almost lost for words. “You used your money to buy  _ that??” _

“Have you ever seen my face, dude? Duh. It’s kinda expensive here too, but totally worth it. Got Sayaka even hotter for me as well. So kinda triple worth it!” 

Taka felt like he was about to explode into a fit, expecting himself to reprimand Leon for being so irresponsible and neglectful with his money, that he almost ignored the sentence that left Mondo’s lips.

“Wait. Everyone but Mukuro and Hifumi bet on me and Taka getting together?” 

“Yeah. Why?” Leon questioned, and it looked like he didn’t think much of it. Thankfully. Taka didn’t want to hear any more stories on how his love life was just a huge gambling tactic.

Wait.

Gambling?

Everyone but Mukuro and Hifumi?

Judging by those words, somebody bet on them getting together that Taka wouldn’t have expected. Somebody that he admittedly thought hated him with a strong, burning passion. 

And Mondo seemed to realize that too, their eyes boring into each other too quickly. His expression switched to a mixture of confusion, and cold stone, and something else that Taka couldn’t quite make out. All he knew was that this wasn’t expected. 

“So that must mean that-“

“Oh! We really should get going.” Taka interrupted Mondo, waving his hand hurriedly, and bent over to retrieve the newly packed suitcases. “I’d rather be thinking about Sakura and Aoi’s wedding than people betting on my relationships. Why can’t people bet on something like that for me?”

Taka realized what that really sounded like, and he choked slightly, crossing his fingers that nobody understood the gravity of his words and what he had meant.

"And, uh. Never mind." He looked away, laughing nervously. "Let's just get these into the car, okay?" 

Mondo raised an eyebrow in confusion, but he nodded, and finished lifting the suitcases. 

The entire time that he had been forced to look around the room, searching for any missing pairs of socks (which there were a lot of, surprisingly), he couldn't stop thinking about that oddly cryptic sentence. 

The never mind part stood out to him the most of all, and maybe Taka really was talking about the two of them in that sentence. And maybe he wanted him to do something else, something that would unify them more than they were already.

Did Taka want him to propose?

Just the thought of it made his breath stop, but not in the way that it would happen when he felt a touch on the side of his leg. More of a nervous feeling. 

His entire life, he'd resorted to yelling whenever he would try to ask someone out, and that was the reason he had gone on a ten loss streak. He was confused with how he hadn't yelled when telling Taka how he felt, but maybe that was because he had opened up something... new. Inside of him. 

But he knew sure as hell that he would yell his ass off if he even tried to propose.

He didn't have enough for a ring. What if he disappointed him? What if he completely misunderstood this? What if Taka never loved him to begin with, and he just-

"Mondo?"

He jolted upwards, and he felt his head hit the back of a soft cushion, startling him more than necessary.

"The fuck?"

Scanning his eyes around, he realized that they weren't back at their apartment, but instead in Leon's rather lavish car, something that he had gotten presumably as a result of being a famous rock star. 

"Uhm, are you okay?"

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Taka's face, eyes struck with worry. Probably a lot more than needed. Wow, his eyes looked so strangely... pretty. Almost like they were pools of lava, heating up his insides and licking at his body, and they bore into him. 

Taka gave his shoulder a little shake, his pale skin gleaming. Wait, why was it gleaming? How was this possible? How can someone like this be so insanely hot?

"How are you so fuckin' pretty?"

"Huh?!"

And with that, Mondo decided to lean in, grabbing Taka's chin and smashing his lips against his own. Their teeth collided, but he could give less of a shit. 

Honestly, he'd be better off just kissing him for eternity than doing anything else. 

And he was so cute when he got all nervous, and he was so cute when he squeaked as they kissed, and he was so cute as his legs curled around his lap.

But then he pulled away, and it all vanished.

“I…  _ appreciate  _ that.” Taka started, his face stained red. “But you didn’t even pay attention to what I was saying earlier. Are you alright, Mondo? You look ill, we should just turn back, or we could-“

“It was a kiss!” Mondo sighed, trying to resist the urge to facepalm furiously. “Just… just know that you’re pretty, kay? And I feel great now that I kissed ya and all that, so no, we ain’t turning back.”

“Damn right we aren’t!” A familiar voice came from Mondo’s right, and he turned his head to see Leon, metal bands clasped around his fingers as he held on to the steering wheel just a tad too tight. “At this point I couldn’t care if your appendix burst, we’re an hour away from home and I don’t have time to be your chauffeur. I’ve got guys for that at home anyways.”

“Dude, you’re seriously gonna flex on us? Now?” Mondo groaned, and at this point he was seriously confused as to how he didn’t bury his head into his hand right now. 

“There’s a time and a place for everything.” Leon smirked knowingly, and turned his head back to the front. Mondo did the same, except turning his head to the left, noticing the view and just how much he had missed while daydreaming about a proposal that he had no balls for. 

Mountains stretched over the horizon, the early morning sun mixing with the afternoon, blue tinging into yellow and orange. He could hear the faint sounds of squawking, like birds were waking up and preparing to accompany them for the car ride. Trees blended into each other with tops as green and busy as broccoli, but Mondo supposed he shouldn’t be thinking about vegetables while admiring the morning. 

“It’s nice, eh? Well, you can kiss each other all you want pretty soon anyway, cause there’s a scenic overlook coming up in about another five miles. If you want, you can go there. I need a break for a little bit, anyways.”

Taka’s eyes gleamed, and Mondo noticed, smirking slightly. He clasped his hands together, the seatbelt straining against his chest, and nodded excitedly.

“Sounds amazing, Leon! I’d love to do that! Right Mondo?” Taka questioned, turning his head. He seemed so needy to sit there, and well, Mondo couldn’t refuse. 

“Yeah, sounds great.” Mondo replied, waving his hand in agreement. “Let’s do it.”

“I’m sure you guys are gonna be doing a  _ lot  _ of things, there.” Leon giggled devilishly. 

“ _ LEON!” _

The rest of the ride was filled with scolding that pierced Mondo’s ears. 

~

“Damn, this really is something, hm?” Mondo’s voice rumbled throughout his chest, wrapping his arm even tighter around the warm man next to him. “Look at that, there’s a river there.” Pointing a finger downwards, the man leaned down, following his movements. 

“I see! It does look rather interesting, the water looks clean too.” 

“You’d think that of all things?” Mondo sighed. “Well, I ain’t surprised.”

“I’m going back to college, soon, Mondo. I would need to identify if water is clean by the looks of it, obviously. Even though sciences aren’t something that I’m majoring in, still.” 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re really fuckin’ cute.” Mondo chuckled, leaning in to press a kiss to Taka’s lips. A squeak came from Taka’s throat, but he wrapped his arms around Mondo’s waist, returning the gesture. The two were perched atop the bench that rested on the mountain, looking at the cliff in front of them.

Taka gently pulled away, his eyelashes fluttering, and Mondo admired how thick and dark they were. They adorned his red eyes beautifully, and Mondo pressed another soft kiss to Taka’s cheek, letting his hand venture to his shoulder, squeezing it slightly. 

“M-Mondo…” Taka whimpered, and he could hear something like a sniffle come from his face. Panicked, Mondo lifted his head to see a few tears glistening at Taka’s waterlines. 

“Shit! D-Did I do something wrong? Sorry, I’ll-“

“No! Sorry.. I’m just sensitive easily. It’s just that I… I love you so much and I.. uh..”

Mondo felt his muscles relax, and his shoulder slowly lowered. “Thank christ, I was worried something happened. You shouldn’t cry though, I love ya too.”

“Thank you.” Taka replied softly, and all of a sudden it felt as if the only thing that existed was the two of them. Not the car puttering to their right, not the birds flying above them, not the trees swishing in the wind. Just the two of them, nothing else. “I love you.” Taka repeated. 

“I love you too, man. You don’t gotta keep saying it.” Mondo said, his voice considerably softer, and he really took in how Taka looked. His red eyes contrasted his pale skin beautifully, and he blushed as the memories of leaving all those purple and blue bruises on his neck flooded back to him. Dark lashes still fluttering, tears glistening at his tear ducts, he really looked completely and utterly innocent. And amazing. And only Mondo’s.

“And you don’t have to stare at me like that.” Taka replied, straightening his back, spine rigid. “I’ll do that too then.” And then their eyes bored into each other even more, Taka resting his chin on his fist. Thus, this marked the beginning of an unforeseen staring contest.

Mondo smirked, and focused his attention, everything besides Taka truly disappearing. Then, Taka started to fade, first his legs, then his torso, then his hands and chin, until the only thing that remained were those still beautiful red eyes. 

“I’m going to.. win.” Taka smiled, and resisted the urge to blink, feeling the burn course throughout his retinas. Trying to ignore the dryness of his eyes, Mondo’s pupils latched onto Taka’s somehow even deeper, and his hands gripped onto his thighs, keeping himself afloat. Because he was quite sure he would drown in that red sea right about now. 

“Not a chance, heh. I’ve still… got you.. fuck… beat.” Mondo choked, leaning in even closer, feeling his nose brush against Taka’s. “You’re super… hot… even when you’re losing.” 

“N-No I’m not! I’ve always had a red face!” Taka spluttered, and Mondo once again tried his best to avoid burying his face into his hand.

“Not like that, you i-idiot.” Mondo replied, sometimes wondering how Taka could be so oblivious to such obvious compliments. “I meant that you’re.. hey, this is really like the sauna, huh?”

“Huh?” Taka questioned, then his eyes somehow widened even more than they already were, tears of strain brimming at the edges. “Oh, right. When we used to be ‘enemies’ or whatever. But it was sort of f-funny, right?” He smiled slightly, still staring into Mondo’s eyes. 

“Y-Yeah. Funny cause you lost!” 

“Hey!” Taka stuttered, and he flinched, his eyes finally shutting. “Hahh.. finally. Doesn’t even matter that I lost! Because I’m still strong, you know? And I still love you.” 

Mondo shut his own eyes, shuddering, feeling tears prick at the corner of his fear ducts. “Y-Yeah. That was kinda stupid, hehe. But you are strong, don’t worry about it. I love you too.” Mondo chuckled, and he slowly opened his eyes again, the sunlight somewhat burning his eyes.

Taka smiled sweetly, wiping his eyes. “My eyes hurt. I’m surprised they didn’t hurt during the fourth of July. I don’t know why, but my eyes tend to itch whenever I see fireworks.”

“Well, you were crying like crazy during that day. Maybe that’s why?”

“That’s because I was so happy, of course. What am I supposed to do when the love of my life proposes to me?” Taka retorted, directing a finger to Mondo’s face. “I might be weak in staring contests, but my emotions are totally normal!”

“Never said they weren’t, baby.” Mondo smiled softly, and leaned in for another kiss, feeling the sting of warmth against his lips. He could taste salt on his mouth, presumably from the tears that escaped Taka’s eyes during their childish staring contest. “You’re still beautiful though, heh. I hope I can watch those fireworks with you again some time.” 

“Y-Yeah.” Taka grinned. “Me to-“

“This is way too sappy, I was just getting used to the staring contest too!” And there it was, the voice that Mondo realized he’d been dreading to hear this entire time.

“Leon!” Taka groaned, turning to his right, jumping almost a foot into the air at the sight of his friend watching their intimate moment. “It is rude to spy on people in a relationship, you know!”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. I’m beat, this was kinda cute though. Text me for updates, eh Mondo?” Clicking his tongue and pointing his finger at Mondo knowingly, Leon turned his back to the two of them, making his way to the lavish car. “Now, let’s go. Don’t want you guys getting pushed off the cliff or anything, heh.”

“That’s.. ominous.” Taka stuttered, but he reluctantly stood up, stretching slightly as his muscles lost their tension. “But we should be going, we can’t waste any time for our check in. Come on, Mondo.”

Mondo rolled his eyes, but stood up as well, and walked to the car. On the way there, however, he had an idea to whisper something into Taka’s ear.

And something he did. 

“You’re still really fuckin’ cute.”

**Author's Note:**

> Agh, I hope you guys enjoyed this! I tried to get the graduation stuff out of the way first, but i still made an effort with my writing. I hope you guys liked this first chapter, and since this is my favorite ship, I'll for sure continue updating this.


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